Ouran High School Musical
by Miss Mary Sue
Summary: Just another one of your typical, unoriginal fanfiction in which the anime characters are thrown in a High School Musical-based plot. It's just too bad this female lead can't sing. AU. CHAPTER 6 uploaded!
1. The End of Something New?

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club and High School Musical. The lyrics do not belong to me._

Up on the snowy mountains of Kyoto, Japan lied one of the most expensive and notorious ski lodges. If one were to peek through one of the windows of the upper floor tonight, they might see a person twirling in the room, skirt swirling and long, red hair flowing. Despite the feminine attire, the voice was clearly male. Ryoji Fujioka clasped his palms to his cheeks and spoke with bright red lips.

"Oh, I can't believe we've been invited to this lodge for free and now our week is almost over!" He gushed before turning around and taking notice of his companion. "What're you still doing reading that book?!"

He snatched the book away from the young girl's hands, causing her to protest. "Dad! Give that back!"

"No way. All you've been doing all week is read or study!" He stuck out his tongue. "There's a kids' party going on downstairs. Go join them and have fun. And that's an order!"

His daughter obliged, though reluctantly. "Fine, but on one condition," she said, and then held out her hand. "I still have my book."

The tranny shook his head as he watched his soon-to-be high school student pick up her book and leave downstairs. It had been ten years since her mother passed away, and she still hadn't changed. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Still though…

He smiled inwardly to himself. _I hope she'll have a lot of fun this year…_

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL**

_CHAPTER 1: The End of Something New?_

When people heard the name Suoh, they recognized one of the most powerful companies in Japan. They knew of the cumulating hotel chains and prestigious schools built across the country. But the name Tamaki Suoh gave off a different impression, and that was because Tamaki simply had no interest in his family's business. When people heard his name, the name of the youthful bright-eyed boy, they knew of his flamboyant antics and boyish charm. They looked at him as the boy who had too much time on his hands, jumping on and off from different hobbies and running his mouth with flowery speeches from childhood years spent flipping through dictionary pages.

Especially when it came to the ladies. _Oh, the ladies._

For one of the most expansive ski lodges in the mountains, the floor downstairs looked just like any other teen party. High school students had to celebrate before the end of spring break would inevitably roll over soon. Dim lights of a disco ball scanned the room of dancing youths. Among the music and chatter, the sultry voice of a particular boy could be heard.

"It's amazing how a place could be so crowded, but I feel as if only you and I are in the world," he whispered in a girl's ear, causing the cheeks of his seatmate to flush.

A couch with Tamaki seated could not sit alone without a flock of girls swarmed around. With a princely demeanor and a pair of lips full of sweet-talk, Tamaki was, undoubtedly, a shameless ladies' man. Girls giggled softly as the blonde poured out more flirty compliments, each oozing with pretty words and charm— until a familiar voice interrupted their reverie.

"Still playing around and putting off our duties, are we?"

Tamaki put his chin up to stare at the upside-down image of a middle-aged man in a business suit. Underneath the polished hair and light wrinkles, he bore a vaguely similar appearance of the boy sitting on the couch. Tamaki sighed and properly turned around to face the man.

"If you wanted me to go with you to your associates' meeting upstairs, maybe you shouldn't be allowing a party down here, Father."

"It's New Years, isn't it?" Yuzuru replied. "Besides, we had all agreed on a casual setting. You wouldn't know, of course, since you didn't bother to join our last conference either."

Despite the scolding, he smiled teasingly at his son. Yuzuru knew Tamaki didn't like talking about sales and industries. Inheriting the Suoh business was something he still hadn't decided on yet.

Not enjoying looking like the bad guy, the boy quickly changed the subject. "And by being here, aren't you straying from your duties too?" he retorted.

"Of course not. I've been receiving complaints of a little boy running around the lodge and causing a ruckus, so I'm on the lookout for him right now."

The switched topic didn't stick for long though, because the girls sitting with Tamaki brought it back.

"Oh, Tamaki! Why don't you go with your father?" one gushed.

"I would love to see you in a business suit!"

Tamaki smiled at their requests. "As handsome as I would look in a business suit, I'd much rather prefer spending time with you ladies and making you happy…"

As he spoke, the boy took one of the girl's hands into his own as the others squealed. Yuzuru closed his eyes and shook his head before leaving the love-infested group alone.

"Where will you go in this world, I wonder…"

Just as Yuzuru vanished, the music over the speakers came to a stop. A person's voice took over for an announcement. A spotlight shined on a small stage where the announcer could be seen, speaking into one of the two microphones positioned.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time!" he called. "A New Years' party just isn't complete without a friendly game of karaoke!"

The cheers of the crowd supported his proposition. Tamaki's head shot up at the word karaoke. What a fantastic idea! Immediately he jumped up and pumped a flying hand in the air. "I will sing!"

The announcer blinked. "Oh, well… I was planning on randomly selecting two people…" He started to smile as Tamaki confidently strolled up on stage with a grin, winking at the squealing girls amongst the crowd. "But here's an even better idea: who will be the lucky lady singing with the single and only child of Suoh tonight?"

The loud clamor of females in the audience drowned out the music. They chased after the new spotlight dancing across the room, each in the hopes that light will stop on them. It shot towards a far-off corner on the other side. Tamaki's eyes strained to see the chosen girl. She had been reading a book on the couch, but was now gawking up, confused as to why a crowd of people were grabbing and ushering her to go on. Any protest from the girl was muted by the rowdiness and excitement from others. Eventually she was pushed to the center of the stage next to Tamaki.

He examined her. She had long brown hair that reached to her back, and large eyes. Though dressed in a plain middle school uniform, she looked to be about his age. He wondered, noting the simplicity of her outfit, how she was able to stay in his father's first-class ski lodge.

When the mysterious brunette caught him staring, Tamaki offered a kind smile in hopes of comforting her. She must be nervous, having landed herself in center stage in front of so many people—and of course, standing right next to the Tamaki Suoh.

But when he smiled at her, instead of blushing or giggling like most other girls would in his presence, she simply returned it with a blank and slightly puzzled stare.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but a new song blared out of the speakers. Microphones were shoved into the two's hands, and Tamaki noticed the convenient TV screen in front of them with the lyrics. He smoothened out his hair, waiting for his cue, and proudly pressed the microphone close to his lips.

"_Living in my own world!_" he sang loudly, acting out dramatic hand gestures with every line he read. "_Didn't understand!_"

Despite the overly enthusiastic performance, Tamaki had a decent voice. It was enough to have the crowd cheering and clapping along.

_"That anything can happen, when you take the chance!!!"_

With his verse completed, he turned to his partner excitedly for her part. Strangely though, she had been gawking at the boy and his singing dumbfounded until she realized her cue. She snapped her head back to the microphone as lyrics scrolled up the screen. The audience looked up at the girl eagerly, and Tamaki held his breath, waiting for the beautiful voice to breathe out of the young maiden's lips.

"Um…" She leaned closer towards her microphone. "Sorry, I don't sing."

Tamaki blinked. The audience went silent.

The girl who had just spoken slightly bowed her head, mumbled "sorry", and left the stage. The microphone feedback made a shrill ring as she faded into the crowd. Tamaki stretched an arm after her. "Wait—!"

"Who's going to sing the duet with Tamaki now?" Murmurs filled the air. "I can't believe she refused to sing with Tamaki!" "Who was she, anyway?" "I've never seen that girl in this area…"

The confusion and cluster among the crowd made it harder for Tamaki to locate the girl with long brown hair, but he wouldn't have had the time to anyway when another girl stepped on stage. "I'll sing with you, Tamaki."

"Ah! Ayanokoji-senpai will sing instead!"

"Lucky! She goes to Ouran with him, doesn't she?"

"Oh…" Tamaki gripped his microphone tighter. He wanted to follow after that girl from before, but he had to remember to still finish the song. "Okay," he said, loosening back up and smiling at the magenta-haired woman.

Just one song. One song, and then he could look for her.

* * *

_Now who'd of ever thought that_

_We'd both be here tonight?_

_And the world looks so much brighter_

_With you by my side…_

* * *

Now that was embarrassing.

Haruhi Fujioka sat slouched on her stool, hunched forward on the table. Luckily for her, this room was much quieter – a lonely mini-bar in the lodge, with no one else around but a bartender and a few other people. She could still hear the karaoke music from the other room pounding against the walls though.

The girl sighed. She thought the purpose for coming to her school's chairman's ski lodge was to meet the chairman himself, but she hadn't spotted him at all the past week here. It seemed her father had only dragged her to the mountains just as an excuse to take a vacation and goof around.

"Would you like a drink, miss?" the bartender offered.

Haruhi shook her head. "No thanks. It's against the law for minors to drink."

She enrolled in Ouran Academy under a scholarship for one specific reason: to become a lawyer. Haruhi didn't see how skiing and singing karaoke had any relevance to that. She had a rather lethargic attitude to these things instead; singing and anything particularly musical had never been her specialty, and she certainly didn't see any fun in it either. Actually, she found standing on stage next to that flamboyant, blonde boy to be embarrassing. Rich people were so strange, or maybe that could just be him. _Thank goodness I'll never have to sing with him again in the future…_

Suddenly Haruhi felt a poke on her back and a tug at her hair. When she turned around, a little boy wearing a cap backwards was scurrying out of the room. _What's that kid doing running around here?_

"Haruhi!" She heard her father's voice call her outside. Behind the window, a man with wavy, long hair was waving his arm excitedly. "Hurry, they're going to start the fireworks for New Years!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" she replied.

New Years, new beginnings… she hoped her new life in Ouran would go by smoothly. Study, study, study – those were her plans for the New Year.

As Haruhi stood up and walked towards the outside exit to meet her father, she felt something pull her hair back. Looking back, her eyes followed the trail of her long strands of hair to see it all lead to the edge of the table – secured by a sticky, bubble gum wad.

_Hey, that kid…_

* * *

_This could be the start of something new_

_It feels so right to be here with you_

_And now looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart_

_The start of something new…_

* * *

"Excuse me, have you seen a girl with long, brown hair walking by here? She was wearing a school uniform."

That girl was nowhere to be found during the party, so Tamaki tried looking around in the rooms nearby instead. He found a mini-bar, where he spotted a bartender shaking his head gloomily before setting a wastebasket on the floor.

The bartender took a pair of scissors that had been left on the counter and placed it back in the drawers. "Sorry. She was here just a few minutes ago, but then she left."

"Oh…" Tamaki said, disappointed. "Thank you anyway."

The blonde trudged back to the karaoke room, but not before hearing the other man mumble something along the lines of "such a waste of hair…" to himself. Tamaki didn't know what that was all about, but he was too discouraged to care. Though Ayanokoji had a pleasant singing voice, he had wanted to sing with the other girl. After all, it must had been fate that the two were both chosen to sing together (nevermind the fact that he had volunteered himself). There was something intriguing about her, something about her world that he wanted to know.

But, well, she was gone now. He couldn't do anything about that. Tamaki had to acknowledge the high probability that he would never meet that girl again.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!!!"

Tamaki looked outside the window and watched the fireworks flying in the air. They lit up the starry night with rays and sparks of hope and possibilities.

New Years, new beginnings… he hoped his second year in Ouran would be full of adventures. Fun, fun, fun – those were his plans for the New Year.

And though tonight had been the end of something new, when Tamaki watched the fireworks dancing in the sky, he had a feeling he'd meet that girl again.

**To be continued…?**

* * *

Should I continue?


	2. Get'cha Head in the Clouds!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club and High School Musical. The lyrics do not belong to me._

She didn't mean to eavesdrop. Haruhi wasn't the nosy type; she always stayed away from other people's business. But on her first day of school, when the scholarship student was walking to class, she witnessed an event so strange she didn't realize she had stopped and stared. Then again, she didn't really witness it; rather, the girl had overheard it first.

"You're pretty despicable, aren't you? Picking either one of us so blindly…"

On the crossing path to her homeroom, behind a pillar, Haruhi noticed a group of three students standing in the shaded spot. One of them looked like any other girl, but she was biting her lip and straining her eyes away from the other two. They both had red hair, the same style, the same voices…

Those two were twins.

"You're… you're horrible!" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No," they both said, and held up a pink envelope up to their face, "it's _you_ who is horrible."

Haruhi couldn't fathom any words when she watched the two rip the letter in pieces, scatter it in the wind, and walk away laughing as the other girl fell to her knees and cried.

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!**

_CHAPTER 2: Get'cha Head in the Clouds!_

Other than that morning, Haruhi had expected the rest of her day in Ouran Academy to pass by normally. She knew her rather sloppy outfit would make her stand out a little bit more; since the girl couldn't afford their school uniform, she wore her dad's old sweater and slacks instead. What she didn't expect was how a seating arrangement could cause so much trouble.

Before the bell rang, the class president, Kazukiyo Soga, made a brief introduction of their new scholarship student to the class. That seemed to pique most of the students' interests, since apparently it was difficult for any person of low stature to be entered in a prestigious school. After murmurs of 'ooh's and 'aah's, a few more students shuffling in the room, and the bell ringing, the president gestured over to the desks.

"Well, Mister Fujioka, there's no seating chart so you can sit anywhere," Soga pointed. He and the rest of class had mistaken Haruhi as a boy. Whether it was the messy short hair, the thick glasses that covered her eyes, or the unfeminine clothing, Haruhi didn't really mind. It wasn't like genders were important.

Haruhi walked over to her desk and took a seat, but as the rest of the class poured in the room, among the loud chatter two figures approached her. She looked up and realized they were the twins from before.

"Hey, you're sitting in our seat," one of them spoke curtly. Up close, they had goldenrod, cat-like eyes. She had never seen such unusual features, and yet they stared at her so piercingly.

She blinked and glanced at the empty desks next to her. "But... these two here are available."

The two narrowed their eyes as if she had said something wrong. They spoke in unison, "We don't allow anyone to be between us."

_What?_Before Haruhi could open her mouth, Soga hastily pulled the girl away. "Sorry Hikaru, Kaoru, I had forgotten," he apologized before turning to her and explaining quietly, "You should distance yourself away from the Hitachiin twins. They're a little... antisocial, you could say."

"Ah..." Haruhi furrowed her eyebrows, unable to comprehend how sitting a single desk apart could be that upsetting. "Alright..."

She sat in another chair, but for some reason felt like those twins were sending glares at her from the other side of the room. Haruhi didn't understand how she was able to get on their bad side. Oh well. She supposed it didn't matter. It wasn't like she would get involved with those two in the future anyway...

The rest of the class progressed by casually. Since everyone had just gotten back from vacation, most of the time was spent discussing the plans for the new semester. There were new chapters, three projects, exams, the usual schoolwork... and then came the 'extracurricular activities'.

This topic hadn't been transitioned smoothly like the other subjects. It started abruptly when a shrill voice rang out in the classroom and interrupted their discussion about new books.

"Boring, boring, BORING!!!"

Heels clicked on a wooden desk, and when Haruhi turned, the tall emerging figure was actually just a girl standing on top of a table. She had blonde hair with a pink bow tied on the back. Haruhi wasn't the only one out-of-place in clothing. Instead of the standard puffy, yellow dress, this girl wore a pink and white school girl uniform.

"Come on, Class Rep! Don't bore us with all this schoolwork. Let's talk about something we're _all_ excited about!" Her eyes sparkled as the blonde grinned widely and exclaimed, "The SPRING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL! Breathtaking, poignant performances where actors are given the chance to play the drama and dress up!"

"Some people like Renge just dress up year-round," Haruhi heard one of the twins mumble.

Soga inched towards the tall girl. "Er, Miss Houshakuji, could you get off the desk please?"

"OHOHOHOHO!" Renge ignored the class rep and continued on. "It's the first day of a new semester, so why not start our class's yearly freshman drama production already? Starting today, single auditions will be held for our supporting roles, and pairs for our two leads!"

Something gleamed in her eye as she turned to face the whole class. "And this time… every freshman must take part in the play in some way!"

Haruhi frowned inwardly at that last sentence. She didn't have any performing art skills, and especially not in singing. Soga's face turned pale as he quivered, "Uh… um… not actually on stage though, right?"

"Nah, you can do other things too. Like how Kurakano's playing the piano, right?"

A girl with brown hair, tied in two little buns on the top of her head, nodded. "Ah… yeah…"

Soga sighed, relieved. Haruhi was glad too. If she really had to, stage crew would be best suited for her.

When the bell rang for the next period and students packed to go, Haruhi studied the schedule for her next classes as she walked out the door. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to meet Kurakno. The vice-representative smiled.

"Hi, I'm Momoka Kurakano. It must be difficult adjusting to all these new events going on in our school, so if you're ever confused, I'll be happy to help you with anything."

"Oh, thank you," Haruhi replied. The two ended up walking together side by side.

"I saw what happened with the Hitachiins," she continued. "I hope you don't take it too hard. Hikaru and Kaoru have always been in their own worlds, and they don't like letting anyone in… no one can tell them apart, you know."

"Really?" Haruhi wrinkled her nose. No one could tell the slightest difference between the two? They looked and acted very similar, sure, but that didn't mean they were the same. "I'm sure there's at least somebody out there who could get them to open u—_oof!_"

Before Haruhi could finish her sentence, she collided against a heavier person. Her notebooks scattered over the floor from the impact. When the rain of papers passed away, it revealed a blonde boy she recognized.

"Aah! I'm very sorry, my pretty—" the blonde stopped and gawked up and down at the scholarship student. "Strange, I mistook you for a girl…"

He quickly bent down to scoop up the papers in a stack. His companion, a black-haired boy with glasses, also joined, though his indifferent face made it seem as though this gesture was obligatory. It wasn't until he glanced at a paper that he showed curiosity.

"You must be Haruhi Fujioka, the Honor Student," the spectacled boy stated as he handed back her schedule. Suddenly his blonde friend stopped.

"What?! The special rare scholarship student we've heard all about is you, Haruhi Fujioka?!" he exclaimed, eyes widened.

"You must be a very studious bookworm to get into such a prestigious school," the other mused.

"Oh, what a hero you are, Fujioka," the blonde went on melodramatically, "even though you're ahead in your studies you're the poorest person in the whole school! It must be so difficult being looked down upon by your fellow classmates! But do not worry, I feel for you. Long live the poor! Welcome to our world of BEAUTY!"

As the older student proclaimed this, he waved his arms in the air in a grand manner, roses and sparkles blooming in the background. Haruhi felt slightly annoyed.

"I'm fine, thank you very much," she said, taking back her bookwork. "Excuse me."

She hastily made her way through the hallway before the two men could speak further, but not before taking a glance back and witnessing the blonde kiss Kurakano on the hand goodbye. The scholarship student made a wry mouth. Were rich people always that boisterous?

Still, she hadn't expected to see him again…

Wait a minute, she shouldn't worry about him bothering her. He wasn't in any of her classes. She could focus on her schoolwork with ease.

* * *

_Wait a minute, it's not the time or place_

_Wait a minute, get my head in the game_

_Wait a minute, get my head in the game_

_Wait a minute, wait a minute…_

* * *

"You don't have a crush on your friend over there, do you, Princess Kurakano?" Tamaki spoke, his lips slowly drawing a smile after leaving the vice-representative's hand. The girl turned red in embarrassment.

"N- No, I like someone else…" she murmured, before bowing her head and bidding goodbye to Ouran Academy's prince. She caught up to the scholarship student across the hallway.

Tamaki stretched his arms and folded them behind his head as he continued strolling over to his next class. "Ahh, figures. Looking disheveled like that won't get that guy any girls at all. Still…" he paused for a moment, beetling his forehead, "I feel like I've met him somewhere before…"

Kyouya Ohtori, Tamaki's best friend, simply had a smirk on his lips by some hidden knowledge.

"Hey, what's that all-knowing smile for, Kyouya?"

"Your lightbulb will light up once you figure it out," was his easy response.

Tamaki sighed. "Always in the shadows, keeping secrets… can I really trust you, _mon ami_?"

"Enough to still bother me in school, apparently."

Despite back-and-forth conversations, Kyouya and Tamaki had a unique sort of friendship. Tamaki would say they became best friends the first day they met, but the truth was in the beginning they had wanted nothing more than to strangle each other. Tamaki annoyed Kyouya to no end, and at first they were only enemies due to their fathers' rival companies. It wasn't until that fateful day when the black-haired boy toppled over their table and shouted at the blonde that he heard one simple sentence, one that would change his view of his own life—

"_I think the one giving up here is you, Kyouya."_

He had cursed his circumstances, blamed everything on the fact that he was 'the third son', and had hated Tamaki even more since the boy would easily inherit his company with the drop of a hat. What was even worse was that Tamaki didn't even seriously consider his options with the Suoh business. But, ever since those words, those words that spoke the truth, Kyouya began to understand his rival friend and grew a quiet respect for him.

Of course, sometimes he would still question Tamaki's way of prioritizing his duties and his pointless hobbies. Like right now, for example, when it was near end of class and he was working on a paper before feeling an annoying poke at his back.

"Kyouyaaaa, I'm bored," Tamaki's child-like voice rang. "What're you doing?"

Kyouya continued writing, his letters in a perfect straight line on the blank page. "Researching the Yamuza company. Major electronics maker. We've recently started collaborating with them."

"Oh." From the tone in Tamaki's voice, it was evident he wasn't very interested. That didn't stop him from peering over Kyouya's shoulder though. For a few seconds he had been quiet, until the spectacled student heard light tapping on the desk and a quiet murmur quickly growing to a catchy tune.

"_You gotta get'cha, get'cha head in the game!_

_We gotta get our, get our, get our head in the game!_

_You gotta get'cha, get'cha head in the game!"_

Kyouya turned all the way around so he could face the boy, who had just burst into song out of nowhere. "_What _are you doing?"

Tamaki replied eagerly, "I'm singing to you for motivation!"

"Where'd you get such a ridiculous song?"

"I made it up."

Quite used to these kinds of antics already, Kyouya simply shot a look at his friend that read 'well you better stop it'. The bell would ring in a few minutes, so he began stacking his books together as he spoke carelessly, "If you have so much time on your hands to be singing a song you made up, you might as well join a musical."

Instantly the gears in Tamaki's brain clicked at that idea. His azure eyes brightened by the suggestion. He jumped up and proclaimed, "You're right! That's exactly what I'll do! Doesn't Ouran always have a musical every year?!"

"I wasn't being serious, you know. We're in our second year already, so it'd be better if you focused on your future inheritance this time."

Tamaki shook his head. "I don't want to think about that. I want to think about what I'm doing _now_, and that's starring as the main lead in the Ouran High School Musical!"

Kyouya watched his best friend run off after the bell rang. He shook his head and hid the smile that crept up on his lips. It was typical for Tamaki to pick up a random new hobby and charge head-forward into it.

But the boy knew he had to decide his future eventually. It was only a matter of time before real life would catch up to him.

* * *

_Why am I feeling so wrong?_

_My head's in the game,_

_But my heart's in the song_

_She makes this feel so right…_

* * *

He found it. He found it!

The second day of the new semester, audition sign-ups were already posted all over the walls. Grinning, Tamaki fished through his bag to find something to write with. He clicked his Kuma-chan ballpoint pen until he heard a squeaky voice.

"Oh? Tamaki-senpai, you're interested in taking part in our musical?" The blonde looked up to see Kurakano, and beside her, the scholarship student from before. He smiled brightly.

"Yes. I'm going to try for the main part!" Tamaki put up a peace sign, and Kurakano giggled.

"Good luck with that. It's going to be very difficult competing against Hikaru and Kaoru for the starring roles."

She pointed at the 'leads' section of the audition paper. Tamaki and Haruhi followed the vice representative's finger that led to the letters scrawled in big writing, 'HITACHIINS'. The name was so huge it took up almost every line. Only two spaces were available for anyone to possibly sign up. Not like anyone would dare to, anyway.

"They've starred in every musical our class had. Renge loves them. It's most likely because they're twins, so the taboo idea of two brothers as love interests makes the story more dynamic, I suppose." Kurakano's eyes looked down as she spoke her last sentence more quietly, "I never wrote the script for the two leads to be brothers, though…"

Something had been bugging Haruhi ever since the brothers' names were mentioned. "I thought Hikaru and Kaoru kept to themselves. Why be the main characters if that would expose you to the whole school…?"

Kurakano put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. It does seem kind of weird since they never want to be noticed."

"Maybe," Tamaki suddenly spoke up, gazing at the signature printed on the paper, "they do want to be noticed."

That thought surprised Haruhi. She noticed Tamaki's expression much different from before. Instead of the usual idiotic grin or exaggerated flirtation, his features had cooled as he stared sympathetically at the Hitachiin name. Of course, that was quickly erased when he turned back to Kurakano and yapped on about his hopes for the main role. Her classmate explained to him more about the procedures of the auditions, but Haruhi had already drifted off from their conversation. She kept on thinking about those peculiar twins. She still couldn't forget how intensely they looked at her when she had sat between them.

They wanted to be noticed. Their signature was gigantic enough to read from the other wall. It was to boast the name.

"… pair auditions for leads, huh? Hey, Haruhi!" Tamaki's voice interrupted the girl from her thoughts. She turned to face the blonde. "It's Haruhi Fujioka, right?"

"Uh, yeah."

She curiously watched the boy scribble something across the paper. When his hand left the wall, she realized what he had just written.

_'TAMAKI SUOH AND HARUHI FUJIOKA'_

"Hey! You can't just do that without my permission!" Haruhi shouted angrily.

"Too late, it's already written in ink!" Tamaki chirped, annoyingly waving a pen that had a teddy bear clicker on top. "Kyouya would kill me if I signed him up. But that's okay. You might be a little nerdy, but I have a good feeling about you. And since I haven't properly introduced myself before, I'm Tamaki Suoh."

With a wink, he patted the honor student on the back and walked off, completely unaware of the rage burning inside her. A vein popped in Haruhi's head as she clenched her fist at the walking figure. Who did he think he was, the son of the school chairman?!

After a deep breath, Haruhi began rationalizing the situation. Just because her name was written didn't mean it was set in stone. She could simply tell them that it was a mistake and she had no interest in auditioning for the lead, much less any acting role.

Right. Everything could easily be solved quickly.

(But Tamaki Suoh, oh how she cursed that name.)

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's Notes (be warned, it shall be long): **Thank you for reading! All of the feedback I've received from the first chapter have been positive so far, so I decided to continue this story. This is the first fanfiction where it is a real chaptered story, so it'll be a real challenge for me with my laziness and all, but I'll try. I already know the ending, it's just the middle I'm iffy with.

Anyway, some topics I'll address:

_The relevance with the HSM storyline _– The way I'm going with this AU story is that I'm only going to take the plot of High School Musical and place the Ouran characters under the same situations. That, of course, means different outcomes. I'll also try to incorporate some Ouran elements into the fanfic too so it'll be more familiar.

_Number of chapters _– Since the chapter titles will be parodying off the HSM soundtrack, there will be seven.

_Soga and Kurakano _– Some people might not know these characters, but they're the class president and vice president in Haruhi's class, 1-A. I don't plan to have any OCs.

_Hikaru and Kaoru _– I'm sorry if the twins are so OOC in this story, but I figured since this is AU, where the host club was never created and Tamaki never reached out to them, they are still trapped in their own little world. They're not truly evil characters though. It's just a lot more interesting to have these brothers fill in for Sharpay and Ryan since they're siblings too. Plus who doesn't find Tamaki&Haruhi VS Hikaru&Kaoru interesting? ;)

_Kyouya _– I feel bad because it seems like he's only there to fill in the 'best friend' role, but he's actually not. Kyouya is going to play a bigger role in this story than you think. He's the 'shadow' king, isn't he? He has a scheme that won't be revealed until much later. And whether it will help Haruhi and Tamaki or cause more problems, that will be revealed much later too...

_Honey and Mori _– They won't play much of a big role but they WILL appear in chapters. Including the next one.

_Why 'spring musical' instead of 'winter musical' _– In HSM it was the winter musical, but I decided OHSM will be set in spring because of the anime.

_Will the moral be about 'being yourself' instead of falling into stereotypes like HSM? _– No. The characters are already being themselves, haha. There's going to be different morals, not for the audience, but for the characters themselves. That is, if I'm going to actually stretch myself out to try to add depth. (Nahhh.)

_Is this TamakixHaruhi? _– I haven't decided. Perhaps faintly, if there is enough development. They will learn from each other but romance isn't really the focus in this story.

And lastly… thank you to **temporary promise, FeatherBerry, twilight-crescent-moon, Scarves, Bara Fujioka, Dorkie-Seiyuuki, larrythestapler, JkawaiiNeko, **and **From Spark to Flame** for reviewing and being patient for this update! If anyone has questions (or just comments), I can reply in the next author's note. :)


	3. I’ve Been Looking for a Way out of Here

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club and High School Musical. The songs do not belong to me. Some lyrics have been altered._

"AHHH!"

A loud yell erupted in the cafeteria of Ouran Academy. A seventeen-year-old blonde had stood up, hands clutched in his hair at his sudden discovery. "I just realized I didn't even find out what day and time auditions are!"

The black-haired boy with glasses sat across from him. He didn't bother to look up at his friend, as he continued cutting his steak in a calm manner. "That's your fault for not bothering to check when you signed up."

"Oh no, what if it's going on right now?!" Tamaki gasped, eyes widened in horror at that thought. "I have to go! I have to go to the theatre!"

"I'm not going to finish the rest of your food."

He gawked back down at his unfinished plate. The boy still had dessert left over. In a rush, Tamaki quickly scanned the room and spotted another short, blonde boy eyeing his tray with envy. Next to them was a much taller student. He hurried over to the two.

"Excuse me, this might be a weird question to ask, but could you finish the rest of my cake for me? I noticed you were staring at it, so…"

The shorter boy snapped out of his daze and fixed his eyes on Tamaki. He took one look back at the cake, gulped, and turned away. "Sorry, I don't care much for sweets," he replied haughtily, feigning a tough voice. "Right, Takashi?"

"Right," the other spoke quietly.

Tamaki gazed at them, his eyes turning sympathetic – but not because the student had rejected his food. He accepted the answer anyway. "Okay," he said, "if you really don't."

He left their table and ended up giving his food to a willing girl, who squealed at her lucky fate that she would eat the handsome Tamaki Suoh's lunch. Tamaki was about to exit the cafeteria, but not before sneaking a glance and catching the miserable expression marked on the other blonde boy's face. That was when he knew he had to step in and say something.

Tamaki approached him once more. "You're Mitsukuni Haninozuka-senpai, the captain of the karate club, right?" He smiled at Haninozuka, or 'Honey', as most people had nicknamed him. "I don't know a lot of martial arts, but… what exactly is true strength?"

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!**

_CHAPTER 3: I've Been Looking for a Way out of Here_

The theater was bustling with noise from the rowdy freshman classes. It had been a good idea to require all freshmen to take part in the play, for Renge was now positive all roles would be filled in with such a large cast. It was enough to leave the leftovers to stage crew; which was why she didn't mind much when Haruhi had approached her.

"Oh? So you aren't going to try for the leads after all?" Renge glanced at her sign-up sheet and then looked back up at the student who wore thick, foggish glasses. Haruhi nodded her head.

"No. Not even for any acting role, actually. Sorry for the trouble." She studied the stage in front of them, where various props and scenery were being pulled out from behind the parted curtains. She saw Kurakano laying out her music sheets on the piano. "Since we all have to do something though, I think I could work on stage crew…"

"Hm. Alright then. But since you're stage crew, you should stick around here during auditions to see how everything should be done."

Renge clearly did not feel loss for the sudden dropout. She had been gawking at the scholarship student's messy look, and yes, while it may seem vain to admit this, as the director of the musical she focused a lot on the visual criteria of the actors. Just like her favorite anime and manga, a play must have good-looking men, right?

Haruhi continued to wear her father's old sweaters, and still sported the thick glasses and short, ruffled hair. Nobody had realized she was a girl yet.

Not like she cared how sloppy or androgynous she looked. The brunette was just glad she didn't end up forced to try out for the musical. Especially with that Tamaki Suoh… where was he, anyway? If he hadn't bothered to find out when auditions were, then he must be the biggest idiot in the world. Haruhi took a seat in one of the back rows and watched the hopeful actors prep up.

She did not know that a pair of goldenrod eyes had been watching the two earlier and listening in.

"Did you hear that, Hikaru? I told you the commoner would back down. That Suoh guy hasn't even shown up yet."

The twins had seen the blonde sign up for the same roles as them. They couldn't believe someone actually had the audacity to believe they could take over the Hitachiins. When they ran up to the audition sign-ups and read the names, it was something to laugh about. The school's biggest heartthrob and poorest student together? Sloppy and unmatched, and could never fit together like a pair of twins could.

"They feel too intimidated now," Hikaru sneered. "We needn't concern ourselves with amateurs. It's just you and me, Kaoru."

His brother nodded, and the two sat in the front row once Renge announced that supporting roles auditions would begin now. They watched the others perform, but didn't care to pay attention much.

After all, their world consisted only of 'them' and 'the others'.

* * *

_It's hard to believe…_

_That I couldn't see…_

_You were always there beside me…_

_Thought I was alone…_

_With no one to hold…_

_But…_

_THERE WAS A CURSED WAX STATUE RIGHT BESIDE ME, WITH ITS MALEVOLENCE—_

_

* * *

_

"WRONG!!!"

Renge slapped the boy in the cloak upside the head with a giant fan. Medusa snakes crawled from her hair as fire burned in her eyes.

"THAT LINE WAS NEVER IN THE SONG! THIS IS A MUSICAL, NOT A HORROR OCCULT SHOW! That's it…"

Out of nowhere, the girl pulled a flashlight of doom and shined it upon Nekozawa's face. His immediate reaction: screaming and running out of the theatre.

"AAAAHHH!!! I'M GOING TO MEEEEELT!!!"

Nekozawa was only a blur as he swept past by Haruhi. She wondered if such behavior was common among rich people.

* * *

_For so long I was… uh, lost…_

_So good to be pounded—I mean, found!_

_I'm loving having you… wait, what?!_

_I'm not saying this crap!_

_

* * *

  
_

Renge raised a hand to halt the gangster-looking student from speaking or cursing any more. She sighed and crossed something out on her paper. "It's a good thing you're not, because that was terrible, Bossanova."

His pupils flared red and his face scrunched up like a monster.

"IT'S KASANODA, DAMMIT! YOU WANNA DIE OR SOMETHING?!"

"Boss!! Calm down!!"

The Kasanoda clan grabbed the boy before he could corrupt any harm on the stage. Haruhi watched them drag him out of the theatre.

_Are they really from the mafia…?_

_

* * *

_

…

…

…

* * *

"Er… Class Rep, you can say something," Renge said.

Soga turned pale and fell over into unconsciousness. An alarmed Kurakano stopped playing the piano and rushed over, shouting his name. Renge simply wrote something on her paper and exhaled heavily. This lunch had been long and gruesome.

"Thank you to everyone who auditioned for the supporting roles," she announced half-heartedly, but quickly brightened with her next line, "and now we'll move on to the next part, the main leads! Hikaru, Kaoru, you're the only two who signed up and stayed, so come up and show the beautiful twincest all the fangirls will eat up!"

Grins forming on their faces, the two redheads stood up and proceeded to the stage.

"Telling the Class Rep that this stage was haunted by ghosts was one of the best things we've ever done," Hikaru snickered to his identical twin, as a few students pulled Soga onto the hospital bed and wheeled him off to the nurse's office.

Kurakano stood where she was, hand balled up in a fist to her chest in general concern. She still remembered her duties though, so she turned her attention to the twins once they stepped up on the stage arena.

"Umm, what key would you like me to play…?" she asked.

"No thanks. We had our own arrangements," Kaoru replied. Kurakano blinked as one of the twins pulled out a boombox and pressed play. Contrary to the girl's slower piano music, this tune was modified to a faster, upbeat version. The curtains drew, and the twins held their own set of microphones.

"_It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see,"_ Kaoru sang, _"you were always right beside me."_

"_Thought I was alone, with no one to hold, but you were always right beside me," _Hikaru continued.

As the song continued, with Kurakano sitting on the piano bench with nothing to do and Haruhi gawking at their rather gaudy performance, it was at that time that Tamaki finally entered the theater. He saw the twins performing and spotted Haruhi sitting right next to his entrance door.

"Did I miss anything?" he whispered, taking a seat next to the scholarship student's.

"Not anything you wouldn't want to miss." Haruhi blinked. "Why were you so late?"

"_This feeling's like no other, I want you to know…"_

Tamaki chuckled nervously. "I, er, sort of forgot to check when the auditions were being held… then I got a bit sidetracked."

Haruhi had to do everything in her power to not roll her eyes at his stupidity.

"_I've never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do! I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you! So lonely before, I finally found…"_

Watching Hikaru and Kaoru dance during the song break, Tamaki couldn't help but smile. "You know, that song kind of suits them," he said, but then turned to wink at his partner, "but we're going to sing it better, right?"

Haruhi cocked an eyebrow and remembered her conversation with Renge. "No. At least, I won't be."

"Huh?"

_"What I've been looking for!"_

As the music came to an end, Renge clapped eagerly for their performance. When Tamaki and Haruhi looked up, the twins had struck a pose to finish their dance number. Tamaki enthusiastically joined in on the applause, but Haruhi just gawked at the two on stage and had found their performance rather outlandish. They were a bit 'bouncy' for lyrics that were supposedly sentimental…

"MOE! MOE! As expected from the Hitachiin brothers!" Renge praised. "That's a wrap. Have a good lunch, everyone! Final callbacks will be held next week."

The rest of the freshman classes who stayed for the performances began exiting. As students shuffled out the door, Tamaki's jaw dropped open.

"Wait a minute! I never got to sing!" he cried. "Haruhi and I still—"

"There's no 'Haruhi and I', I already told Renge I wasn't interested in taking any acting part in the play," Haruhi corrected. Tamaki spun around at her and gave the girl a confused look. "You never asked if I wanted to be your partner, you know!" she reprimanded.

"B-But, Haruhiiii!" he whined. "Please? I need you in order to audition for the lead!"

"Nope, even if Haruhi agreed you two wouldn't be able to anyway." The two students turned at the blonde director, who began stacking her papers together. "Being late for the theater is unacceptable. I've never met you before, Tamaki, but irresponsibility casts an extremely unprofessional impression for a man such as yourself."

Tamaki grimaced. Those words sounded like as if they came from his father. He wasn't conducting some business meeting! This was a musical – something that was supposed to be _fun_.

"I'm sorry, but there are no exceptions."

Though Renge was a hyperactive fangirl, she knew her part as a director and was exceptionally strict about these things. She walked past the two as Tamaki sighed in disappointment. Somehow, Haruhi felt a bit of pity for him. He did seem really excited about playing this part…

She was about to open her mouth to try to offer some condolence, but something else caught their attention after Renge left the theater. Kurakano and the twins were the only ones left on the stage; Kurakano to organize her music sheets, and Hikaru and Kaoru to secretly watch and enjoy in Renge's rejection for the other two. The two redheads were about to step off the set, until Kurakano interrupted them.

"Oh, excuse me," she spoke, obviously nervous from the knowledge that they were often bullies, "I was hoping that since you two have the part, well, I had intended this song to be much more slow and sentimental…"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Sentimental? Are you trying to correct our performances?"

"For your information, we've been cast as the leads in all of Renge's musicals to know what we're doing," Hikaru retorted, "and it's rather egotistical of you to think your song is so meaningful for a pair of twins when you can't even tell us apart."

Haruhi's eyes focused inward after overhearing that last line. _Telling them apart…_

"But I didn't plan for the leads to be twins either…" she murmured quietly, but quickly shut up once they shot her a look.

"Listen, Vice Rep, this is our play," Hikaru snapped.

Kaoru continued, "And no one—"

In unison, "Can take over us."

Tamaki and Haruhi had been watching this conversation take place silently. Kurakano didn't speak a word afterwards, and the twins turned to make their exit. Dejectedly, the girl took her musical sheets in her hands, which would soon come out flying all over the stage arena after she tripped over the leg of the piano stool. She fell to her knees as a twister of paper fluttered around her.

Tamaki made the first move to come out of their seating row and help her. Haruhi was a bit surprised, but followed him to assist as well. They approached the vice rep and collected their own small stacks.

"So if that song wasn't for the Hitachiins, what was it actually about?" Tamaki asked. He offered a kind smile as he handed Kurakano his stack.

After saying thank you, she answered his question. "The leads in the musical are based off of Kazukiyo and me, actually. We're childhood friends, so…"

The image of the boy with light brown hair and horn-rimmed glasses came to Haruhi's mind. "The class president, Soga? Do you like him?" she asked bluntly.

The other brunette's cheeks turned red as she stammered, "I—I have a lot of respect for him!"

Tamaki laughed at her embarrassment. "Well, you must be very talented to compose these songs—and play them on the piano, even!"

"At first I really wanted to sing it as the lead," Kurakano explained, smiling, "but nobody else in our freshman class could play the piano as well, so Renge casted me as the pianist."

Tamaki eyed the piano sitting a few feet away from them. Haruhi noticed he had the same calm expression as he did from before. "That isn't a bad thing. As someone once said," he spoke romantically, "love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by rules, then you must learn to play by heart."

Usually a line like that would be too cheesy for Haruhi, but there was something about the way Tamaki uttered it that didn't seem like his usual pretty words. She wondered if there was some special connection between him and that musical instrument.

And soon, she found Kurakano sitting on the piano stool and Tamaki leaning forward after some encouragement to hear the actual song. The girl was very happy to share the original tune. She delicately placed the music piece up on top and started to play. The song began quietly, sweetly, like a tale of two old lovers.

"_It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see…" _Tamaki sang, reading off the lyrics provided on the music sheet. He too acted more calmly, contrary to before when Haruhi had first heard him at the ski lodge. This time his tone was more sincere; more heartfelt. _"You were always right beside me…"_

The scholarship student didn't realize she was still standing there when the other two turned their heads at her. "Want to read the other line, Haruhi?" Tamaki offered, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Oh… no thanks. I don't sing…" Haruhi muttered. For some reason, Tamaki felt a strange sense of déjà vu from that response.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Kurakano said. "I could sing them. _Thought I was alone, with no one to hold…"_

Then the two both sang, _"But you were always right beside me…"_

"_This feeling's like no other, I want you to know…_

_That I've never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do…_

_I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you…_

_So lonely before, I finally found what I've been looking for…"_

Somehow Haruhi couldn't help but feel out of place watching the two in the background. It wasn't like she had any other choice though. She chose not to sing.

All her life, Haruhi had received exceptional grades it all subjects and academics – but no matter how much she studied, how much she took notes, she still could never truly be outstanding in music. She barely made the grade in middle school thanks to written tests, but never oral.

Haruhi knew she couldn't sing, and that was okay. She didn't mind. But with her whole life spent sitting behind a desk, watching the two in front of her singing and smiling made it natural for the girl to wonder – even just a little bit – what it must feel like…

Of course, she quickly regretted that thought once she heard a high electric motor running. Renge spun back up from the stage on a spinning platform. Haruhi gawked at the humongous machine and wondered why the heck a school would even build one in the middle of the stage.

"Suoh, Fujioka, you have a callback!" she announced, and soon the question of where the motor even came from was soon forgotten.

Tamaki's eyes sparkled and he made a happy gasp at the news. Haruhi, however, was less than pleased. "Wait, that wasn't even me singing!"

"Hmm, you're right," Renge said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. She had been pleased with Tamaki's princely singing, but hadn't gauged the other partner. "We don't have enough time to hear you sing, so I'll have to quickly test you some other way until the actual audition."

The female director jumped off of the platform and started circling around Haruhi, scrutinizing the honor student from head to toe, all the while muttering disapproving 'mm's and 'uh-uh's under her breath. After shaking her head, she told the girl bluntly, "This visual test isn't working out for you at all. That sloppy attire is too trashy… and would it kill you to stop slouching? And also," her hands shot out at Haruhi's face and snatched her spectacles off, "lose the dorky glasses— …!!!"

Renge stopped talking and stared with the widest eyes ever. It was rare for the girl to shut up – the sight was really _that_ shocking. Even Tamaki and Kurakano had peered in and caught their own breaths.

"Ah, wait," Haruhi tried to explain, thinking something was wrong, "I lost my contacts the day before school started, so—"

"SOOOO CUTE!!!" It wasn't Renge or Kurakano who squealed, but Tamaki. He glomped the scholarship student, sending the both of them hurdling to the floor.

"Wow, I never imagined you to be such a pretty boy… this is PERFECT!" Renge whirled around to Kurakano and pointed at the vice rep with the script rolled up in her hand. "Kurakano! You'll be in charge of helping these newbies with their audition!"

Haruhi stared blankly at the ceiling after Tamaki finally lifted himself off of her. She was too dizzy and confused to register what was happening. _What?_

"Yes, ma'am!" Kurakano exclaimed. "I'll do my best to make sure they get the part!"

_What?_

Tamaki made a peace sign with the most giant grin plastered on his face. "Yes, as shall I!"

_What?_

"Ohohohoho!" Renge cackled as she started elevating back underground on her spinning platform. "I look forward to seeing you two next week! These final callbacks next week are absolutely mandatory, you hear that?!"

As the spinning woman disappeared down below, Haruhi's new partners jumped up and down excitedly, celebrating the great news. The scholarship student still lying on the floor was too busy replaying the conversation that had just occurred to join in. The gears in her brain rewound backwards to a few seconds ago.

Tamaki. Haruhi. Make sure they get the part. Final callbacks. Next week.

… Mandatory.

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!_

**To be continued…**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **The writing quality in this chapter is a lot worse... sorry about that, I was in a rush since I didn't want to write this story on weekdays (school days) and be distracted. The next one will be much better.

Special thanks goes to: **From Spark to Flame, temporary promise, Flippers913, Scarves, Laila, **and **larrythestapler.**

To **From Spark to Flame: **The order is the names displayed on the review page, so the last person who reviews ends up first and the first person is last (that sounded more confusing than it actually is). But here, I'm putting your name first!

To **larrythestapler **and **Scarves**: I still haven't planned any actual TamaHaru yet, even though I am a fan… their relationship will probably be just like in Ouran or Gabriella's and Troy's, where in the end they're "close friends but obliviously kinda sorta could have a little somethin'-somethin' going on, oooohh". Hahaha, I think the most major moment they'll have will be around 6 or 7. And definitely a nice little small one in 5. Okay, now I'm starting to reveal too much. For now, I'm only offering a Tamaki glomp for this chapter. :P

To **temporary promise: **No, thank you for reviewing! Your reviews always make me feel great about a chapter!! :D It was actually you who got me to continue the rest of chapter 2 and finish it because you made me feel guilty about the hiatus. So thank you very much!!

Aaaaand lastly, I have to mention that it was **larrythestapler **who gave me that piano quote and inspired me to squeeze that in somewhere in this chapter. I think it's a good follow-up for when Tamaki's mom is going to be mentioned soon. (Chapter 5? I don't outline these things at all.)


	4. Status Quo: They’re All Just Rich Bas…!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club and High School Musical. The songs do not belong to me. Some lyrics have been altered._

Life had a very unfunny sense of humor sometimes. Like how it absolutely insisted on Haruhi cooperating with Tamaki Suoh, even though he wasn't in any one of her classes at all. Life forced her into singing with him twice (both times she managed to avoid, thankfully), it dragged her into auditioning for the school musical with him, and now… now… Haruhi was actually having _lunch _with him.

Tamaki wanted to introduce his new partner to his best friend, Kyouya. The spectacled boy greeted her politely but disinterestedly. Though standoffish, he did seem to take some amusement in Tamaki yapping on and on about Haruhi and callbacks. Maybe he was familiar with the scholarship student's exasperation dealing with the capricious boy and pleased that the victim was her now. Not only did Tamaki take some strange, nosy curiosity with "commoner culture", the blonde was also overly fascinated with her bento box.

"Still though," the blonde said, cupping his chin with his thumb and index finger, "I never imagined the famous honor student would be gay."

Haruhi caught the last few words and returned her attention back to the boy. "Gay?"

"I knew the only chance for the yaoi-crazed Renge to cast me as the lead is to have my love interest be another guy too," Tamaki explained, "but I never expected you to agree auditioning with _me_ so easily!"

Haruhi stared blandly at the boy's idiotic (and slightly arrogant) conjecture. Kyouya pulled a black notebook out and started scribbling something.

Tamaki leaned closer over the table. "So you go for the princely type, huh?" he teased.

Make that extremely arrogant. "Tamaki-senpai."

"Hmm?"

"Get over yourself."

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!**

_CHAPTER 4: Status Quo: They're All Just Rich Bas…!_

This was not supposed to happen.

Final callbacks, lead roles: _one, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin_. An obvious outcome. The twins had always starred in every single one of Renge's plays. Brotherly love was popular among teenage girls, but having them as twins was a double taboo that shot past the amateur "moe" factor. They could sing, they could dance, and they could most certainly act considering all the pranks and mischief they'd pulled. There should be no reason for any problems to arise in choosing the lead roles.

There were problems. Two, in fact: that Suoh boy, and the commoner.

Tamaki Suoh, also the biggest idiot in Japan, came to school the day after auditions with the biggest smile stretched across his face. What was even more suspicious was that Haruhi Fujioka showed up with an extreme makeover. Gone were old, tattered sweaters, now replaced with the Ouran uniform. He finally blended with other students with his blue blazer and tie. His hair was combed to a nice, pretty-boy style. And the commoner had finally ditched the glasses – now girls constantly surrounded him for those dreamy, chocolate orbs.

Hikaru and Kaoru knew there had to be something going on. Haruhi did not seem the type of guy to care for looks. So when the twins checked the callback paper that afternoon, they narrowed their eyes at the two names that appeared below theirs.

_Two, Tamaki Suoh and Haruhi Fujioka._

"How can this be?! They didn't even audition!" Hikaru pounded a fist on the table. They were on the top floor of the cafeteria. Hikaru sat at the table cursing his new rivals, while Kaoru stepped over to the balcony. He peered over the students eating lunch at the bottom floor. "Something's happening, Hikaru… Look."

Haruhi's makeover brought more than just a flock of girls. He enrolled in Ouran Academy a studious, apathetic student. All of a sudden he was now a star actor and one of the top seven best-looking men in Ouran. He courageously defied social normals to pursue something he wanted to do, even if it meant revealing his secret love for singing. (Or at least that was what everyone thought, anyway.)

This made people think. The students of Ouran Academy were rich and powerful, and lineage always came before wealth. But if a commoner like Haruhi defied the status quo, why couldn't they?

Honey paced back and forth from his table on the lower floor of the cafeteria, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. Most of the men from the karate club were seated and stared at their captain in general concern. The boy was so focused that he couldn't hear his teammates call his name. Only Mori was the first to receive a response.

"What's the matter, Mitsukuni?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"I'm just thinking…" the other senior murmured.

"… _What exactly is true strength?"_

"_Huh?"_

_The strange second-year – Tamaki Suoh, was it? – chuckled at Honey's confusion. "Forgive me for saying so, but hiding who you really are and putting on airs seems to me like running away."_

And then he disappeared, rattling on to himself about being late for auditions, and left the third-year alone to reflect.

Honey snapped his head up in determination. He stopped pacing around the table. He knew what he had to do now.

… Sing.

"_You can bet there's nothing but fights, when I am in the zone and on a roll," _he started, ignoring the baffled looks sent from his karate club, _"but I've got a confession, my own secret obsession, and it's making me lose control!"_

The others exchanged odd glances before shrugging and joining in. _"Everybody, gather round!" _they chorused.

"I…" Honey balled his fingers in a tight fist. He wrinkled his nose at the beef rump stake lying on his food tray, then shot a look at a chocolate cake a girl was carrying as she passed by their table. "I really, really, REALLY love cake! I love everything sweet, everything cutesy, and even… even…"

Out of nowhere, the short blonde pulled out a stuffed animal rabbit and held it up in the air. "Even USA-CHAN!!" he proclaimed proudly. Gone was the tough demeanor and rough tone, and in came the pink flowers floating around Honey as he spoke in a child-like voice.

So absorbed in the moment, his karate teammates jumped up from the table and cried, _"No no no! Stick to the stuff you know!" _They pointed at each of their black belts. _"If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule! Don't mess with the flow, no no! Stick to the status quo!"_

A boy with long, flaming red hair had been thinking deeply as well. Beside him were his fellow mafia members. Upon observation, it would seem like Kasanoda was merely scowling. No one knew he was about to share his own song.

"_Look at me, and what do you see? Scariness beyond compare," _he growled. _"But inside I am stirring, something strange is occurring, it's a secret I need to share!"_

The Kasanoda clan jumped at their feet and eagerly waited for his answer. Was their boss planning on a fight?! _"Open up, dig way down deep!" _they cheered.

The men became startled when he slammed his fist on the table, rattling their glasses of water. "Sometimes I don't WANT to be the scary guy, okay?! I like gardening and taking care of animals…" he ruffled his hair as his cheeks flared red at admitting this, "and… and sometimes, I just wanna play kick the can with you guys!"

The mafia members' jaws dropped, and they stood on their chairs, raising swords and various weapons in the air. _"No no no! Stick to the stuff you know!" _They pointed the sharp ends at Kasanoda and threatened, _"It is better by far to keep things as they are, don't mess with the flow, no no! Stick to the status quo!"_

Over at the student council table, Soga slammed his book shut. The representatives thought the class president was going to yell at the freshmen for joining the uproar. Instead, he had a special announcement of his own the others had never heard before: in song.

"_Listen well, I'm ready to tell about a fear I cannot deny," _he sang. _"There's no explanation for this shivery sensation, but I'm ready to let it fly!"_

The council had much respect for their leader, so they gladly lend their ears for his message. _"Speak your voice, and you'll be heard!"_

Soga swallowed the lump down his throat. He lifted himself off of his seat, notebook clutched tightly against his chest. Kurakano was watching. "The truth is, I have nyctophobia. I'm scared of the dark, of ghosts, of horror movies, and the reason why I can't sing on stage is because I was told the theatre's haunted." The president's face turned a ghostly white at the mere thought of the twins' fake story. Still, he held on long enough to continue, "But even so, I—I want to be there for Kurakano's play… Kurakano, I really…"

Before he could confess any more, Soga's vision turned blurry and he fainted in fright and embarrassment. Kurakano rushed over to the unconscious boy, while the others circled around him and chorused, _"No no no! Stick to the stuff you know!" _They flipped open several pages of their books and class agendas. _"If you wanna be cool, follow one simple rule! Don't mess with the flow, no no! Stick the status quo!"_

The usual orderly atmosphere of the cafeteria was destroyed. Students danced, sung, and ran across the halls. Hikaru and Kaoru stared down at the catastrophe reveling before them. Since when did the whole school remember the same song and choreography?! Not only was Suoh and his commoner friend stealing their spotlight, the academy was beginning to think they could sing too.

"_This is not what we want…" _Hikaru began, gripping the railing as he peered over the dancing flock of students.

"_This is not what we planned," _Kaoru continued.

"_And we just gotta say…"_

"_We do not understand!"_

The karate club, Kasanoda clan, and student council inched closer to their unique individuals. Many other groups of students followed this sequence of steps.

Baffled, Hikaru harmonized, _"Something is really—"_

"_Something's not right!"_

"—_really wrong!"_

The twins met each other's eyes. They thought the same thing. This time, in unison, they declared, _"And we've got to get things back where they belong!"_

"_We can do it!"_

Honey jumped up. _"Usa-chan!"_

"_Stick with what you know!" _the karate club shunned.

"_We can do it!"_

"_Kick the can!" _Kasanoda shouted.

The mafia yelled, _"He has got to go!"_

"_We can do it!"_

"_Get a van!" _Kurakano cried, calling the ambulance for Soga's second time fainting this week.

"_Keep your voice down low!"_

The whole student staff began whispering quietly, telling their seatmates, _"Not another peep, no, not another word, no, not another sound…"_

Hikaru couldn't take it anymore. "Everbody, QUIET!"

The cafeteria turned silent. Upon scanning the room, the older twin finally spotted Haruhi, looking around confusedly at their surroundings. Hikaru narrowed his eyes. That commoner was the reason for all of this. He began stepping down the stairs, Kaoru following by his side, yet the redhead never took his goldenrod eyes off the scholarship student.

The song then continued at an even louder volume, much to Haruhi's chagrin. She didn't know how it started, but she had been staring at everyone, puzzled at their sudden decision to perform a musical number. Girls in yellow dresses spun as blue and black-uniformed men jumped around the tables. They all sang something about the "status quo"… what was that all about?

The first person she turned to was Kyouya. He was the type to have known everything, anyway. "What the heck is going on?"

"Apparently, your callbacks have caused quite an uproar," he observed. "People are confessing their secrets despite the conflicts it would cause with their social status."

"Wow…" Tamaki breathed. "This is… so cool!!"

The two dark-haired students watched the boy get up from his seat and race towards the crowd to sing and dance along with them.

"_No no no! Stick to the stuff you know!_

_If you want to be cool, follow one simple rule!_

_Don't mess with the flow, no no!_

_Stick to the status quo!"_

Haruhi frowned once she listened to the lyrics more carefully. "But that isn't fair. Their friends shouldn't eschew them just because they're a little different…"

"Actually, they're not." Kyouya gestured over towards Honey's table and made his way from the karate club, to the mafia members, and then the student council.

"Honey-senpai's team has known about his obsession for cutesy things for a long time. They actually feel sorry that he has to run away from the things he loves in order to become a proper Haninozuka captain. The Kasanoda clan respects their master as well and wishes for a deeper bond with him, even with simple things like kick the can. As for Kazukiyo Soga, well… nobody would really care about his phobia."

Kyouya closed his notebook shut after reading his notes off of the various individual students. If Haruhi hadn't been concentrating so hard on the purpose of this song, she would have been more creeped out by his excessive knowledge of their fellow schoolmates.

"So basically, the only reason why they're singing is…"

"I guess you could say they're all caught up in the heat of the moment," Kyouya answered.

Haruhi grimaced at the absolute pointlessness of this event. "I think the status quo is that you're all just rich bastards," she muttered.

"_No no no! Stick to the stuff you know!_

_It is better by far to keep things as they are!_

_Don't mess with the flow, no no!"_

The scholarship student heaved a sigh. The cafeteria was much too loud now, and the musical number only reminded her of a certain priority of hers next week that she didn't want to think about. "I think I'll just eat lunch in the classroom then."

She grabbed her bento box before standing up and making her exit. Tamaki spotted her leaving.

"Oh! Haruhi! I'll come with you, we could practice our own singing during lunch!" he chimed.

His partner turned her head to shoot him a look. "Tamaki-senpai, I _never_ agreed in auditioning with you for the school musical. Tryouts may be mandatory, but that doesn't mean I'm going to practice for something I don't want to do."

"_Stick to the status…"_

Tamaki's face turned crestfallen. "What…?"

"_Stick to the status…"_

Annoyed, Haruhi swiveled her whole body around to face the boy, not paying attention to where she was walking. "How can you expect me to do this, when I can't even sin—aaahh!!"

"_Stick to the status quo!"_

Haruhi had stepped on a random banana peel on the floor and slipped. Her lunch flew backwards in the air before the box slid out of her fingers' grasp. The song had ended at just the perfect time, when the rest of the students had all halted to watch the scene unravel before them. A 'splat' resounded in the silence.

When Haruhi regained her posture, she looked at where the lunch had dropped: on the chest of a blue blazer… belonging to one of the Hitachiin twins. She made a small gasp at the sight of her sticky rice drenched on top of the expensive coat. The twin stared at the commoner lunch plastered on the jacket before slowly raising his eyes to meet hers.

Somebody screamed. But it wasn't Haruhi or either of the twins.

"NOOOOOOO!" came the shrill cry of Tamaki, as he clasped his hands over his cheeks in horror. "ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Finally the twin snapped, whirling his head towards the older boy. "Does it look like I'm okay?! This commoner just ruined my—"

The redhead stopped once Tamaki rushed over to them and dropped to his knees. He delicately scooped up the remaining rice and chopsticks that had fallen to the floor with his hands. "Haruhi's obento… I was supposed to eat you…" he sobbed.

"I wasn't going to give you my bento anyway…" Haruhi murmured.

"Is this some kind of joke?" The Hitachiin flashed his eyes over to the scholarship student. "How do you expect me to walk around school stained with your dirty food?"

"I'm really sorry," Haruhi sincerely apologized, "I could help wash your jacket if you want—"

"I don't want this to be handled by cheap laundry cleaners!" he shouted. "Buying us a new uniform is the least I could expect as your apology."

Taken back by the unreasonable charge, Haruhi argued, "Look, I know this is my fault, but that's just ridiculous to waste money on a whole new uniform, Hikaru!"

The cafeteria seemed to have stood still for a moment afterwards. Hikaru, and Kaoru beside him, almost looked like they were frozen, having inhaled a sharp breath at her last sentence. Even Tamaki had finally looked up in shock at her words, obento quickly forgotten.

"What…" Hikaru finally uttered a breath, "What did you just say?" Kaoru stepped closer to his brother upon waiting for her answer.

Haruhi blinked confused, but repeated anyway, "I said, it's ridiculous to waste money on a whole new uniform."

She didn't understand why the twins looked at each other strangely, why the crowd circled around them began murmuring to each other, and why Tamaki slowly drew a smile on his lips. After what seemed like a century of wordlessness, Hikaru made the first move to turn around and leave. Both the twins exited with a cold silence, leaving Haruhi alone to wonder what just happened.

She, at least, felt a little bit of comfort when Tamaki patted her on the shoulder. The honor student looked up at him, and the blonde offered a kind smile. "Don't you worry your pretty little head off about this, Haruhi," he said. "I'll take care of it."

And with that, he too began walking out of the cafeteria corridors to trail after the Hitachiins.

* * *

_Not another peep, no_

_Not another word, no_

_Not another sound, no…_

_

* * *

_

"Damn it!"

He thrashed his soiled jacket on the concrete surface of the fountain. Water streamed quietly in the basin, but the boy's blood was burning with frustration. He tousled his hair in confusion and anger. Kaoru felt equally as powerless as his brother, but he was able to maintain a sense of rationality of this situation. He quietly walked over next to his mirror image and took a seat on the smooth concrete.

The younger twin stared at the sticky rice beginning to dry off of the blazer. "Haruhi Fujioka…" he murmured. It was the first time they had spoken the honor student's actual name instead of the label 'commoner'. "Do you think… it could have been a lucky guess, Hikaru?"

Hikaru placed his hands on the cement, analyzing the lines that stretched across his knuckles. They were the exact same lines as Kaoru's. Everything about him was the exact same as his brother. So how, how on earth could Haruhi have…

"Just a fluke," he said, more to himself than an answer to his brother. "It was just a fluke…"

Before they could fuss any more about the truth of Haruhi's knowledge, the two heard light footsteps behind them. "So the one in the dress shirt is Hikaru, right?" a chipper voice rang out.

Both twins addressed their attention to the second-year, Tamaki. Hikaru scowled. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to apologize on Haruhi's behalf. It was an accident, and he didn't mean to," the blonde explained. "But I'll gladly pay for a new uniform if you're still up for it… unless you're actually concerned about something else."

They glared at the taller boy standing in front of them, but he showed no sign of intimidation. His pleasant smile was irksome, and the fact that it was him who they would be competing against for the school musical was even more irritating. He and that Haruhi…

Suddenly, that thought gave them an idea.

"Actually, we're more up for a game instead," Kaoru said. Hikaru looked at his brother, who returned the stare. Gazing into his twin's eyes, he quickly understood.

"Yeah," Hikaru agreed, a smirk played over his face, "it's called the 'who-can-win-the-lead-roles-in-the-Ouran-musical' game."

Tamaki, unknowing of their intentions, became naturally curious of their so-called game. "And the purpose of this game is…?"

"It's simple," Kaoru casually explained as he leaned back against the fountain. "We both audition for the spring musical. If you and Haruhi win, you can get us to do whatever you want."

"And if we win…" Hikaru stared piercingly at the blonde boy and darkened his voice. "We can make you do whatever _we _want."

Tamaki took some time contemplating over the rules. He must have thought of the reward for his winning, because he quickly brightened up at that idea. "Okay! We'll do it!" The boy extended both his arms down to the sitting twins, eager for a handshake that would start their game.

Each twin raised their hand, but not enough to fully grasp the blonde's. "No matter how wrong and dirty it is?" they cautioned.

"Well, as long as it isn't against the law or anything, then I promise," Tamaki happily replied. "But of course, that also means you'll have to agree to my conditions if I win, no matter how much you don't want to."

A spark flashed in their goldenrod eyes. Their lips twisted up in the most devilish smile. "Alright then."

They shook hands upon agreement, and Tamaki cheerfully strolled back to the school building, already plotting his ideas after he and Haruhi would win. A long silence followed outside at the fountain before the twins spoke up again.

"Tamaki Suoh," Hikaru contemplated, "is also the son of the school chairman, isn't he?"

"He is," Kaoru replied, standing up and dusting his pants off. "Which means that without the Suoh's money, Haruhi Fujioka wouldn't even be here with the scholarship."

His younger twin picked up his jacket and stared at the stain that had dried off into a plain, dark color. The image of the brunette appeared in his mind. The brunette who intruded into their world with a single word…

"_That's just ridiculous to waste money on a whole new uniform, Hikaru! … Hikaru! … Hikaru!"_

"There're plenty of other poor students vying for an entrance in Ouran. I'm pretty sure it isn't against the law to take away a scholarship…"

Meanwhile, in a quiet classroom on the other side of the school, Haruhi placed a hand over her stomach.

'I just got a bad feeling…' she thought. 'I guess I didn't eat enough lunch today.'

Let the games begin.

**To be continued…**

**

* * *

****Author's Note:** It might take a while for me to upload the next chapter because I have finals this week and my ideas for the next events (with the song 'When There Was Me and You') are sort of blurry. I know the ending, but the middle part is undecided for me. But after my finals it will be the summer, so I'll have more time to figure that out. :)

MANY SPECIAL THANKS to **Laila, yolapeoples, Jkawaiineko, From Spark to Flame, Flippers913, Scarves, easterlily16, **and **larrythestapler**. It's your reviews that keep me going. Seriously, all of them were so wonderful and awesome! :)

To **Laila: **What'll they do when they find out she can't sing… well, you probably already know from the end of this chapter already. :\ *cue dramatic music*

To **yolapeoples: **I fear that Hikaru and Kaoru are too OOC in this story, but I'm trying to portray them as they were in middle school before they joined the host club. (There is no host club in OHSM, which equals EVIL TWINS!) It is sort of difficult for me to write them since they are so contradictory and complex (they want people to tell them apart, they don't want people to tell them apart…), so I hope I didn't make them TOO out of character.

I tried to add in some familiar mischief they have in the actual Ouran like telling Soga that the theatre's haunted and making up spontaneous 'who-can-blah-blah' games — but then again, forget that last part since their games were never really that mean and dangerous. :X

To **Scarves: **Haruhi's singing capability will be just as the same in the anime/manga. Which means she SUCKS. :P I mean, we never heard her real singing in the actual Ouran, but it is pretty evident when Ranka says that she always failed in her music grades.

**!VOTE ON THE POLL! **I'm going to post a poll on my profile page as a test run because I plan on putting the real one up after my second-to-last chapter. I've never made a poll before though, so I just want to test it out and figure what type of poll it'll be when the last chapter will come up. If you could vote, it'd be really helpful! All votes will be anonymous, not even I will get to see the names! The question is: **Who do you think will win the lead roles for the Ouran High School Musical?**

Thanks!!


	5. Breaking Free From Bad Singing

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or High School Musical. The songs do not belong to me._

Usually, the twins never bothered to practice for their auditions. They didn't see the point when they were confident enough to win, like they always did. But this time, with their competition as Tamaki and Haruhi, who were slowly rising with popularity, they knew it was better to be safe.

After all, the twins had never actually heard the two sing to gauge their capabilities. Especially that Haruhi…

But suddenly, in the middle of their routinely rehearsals in their limo on the way to school, Hikaru spoke up with lines that weren't from a script.

"You know what I just realized, Kaoru? The way Suoh talks…"

A grin flashed on his identical twin's face. "I thought so, too."

They pointed at each other and shouted, "He talks just like a Lord!!!"

The image of the blonde second-year prancing around, flapping his fan and face caked with powdery make-up like an actual ancient lord, caused the twins to go into hysterics. They clutched their stomachs and almost toppled over the seat dying with laughter. Then, as the tears began to dry, they soon turned silent.

Hikaru leaned back on his seat. "But you know…"

Kaoru stared at his polished shoes. "Slowly," he turned to his mirror image, "we're getting tired of it."

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!**

_CHAPTER 5: Breaking Free (From Bad Singing)_

People started becoming much friendlier after the incident in the cafeteria. Honey still practiced karate every day, but openly expressed his love for cake and sweet things. Mori supported his cousin all the way. They started sitting with Tamaki, Kyouya, and Haruhi during lunch time, and for some reason, Haruhi felt they had all belonged together.

Except… something wasn't exactly right. She often glanced at a free spot across from her table, unoccupied by the other men. Something was missing in their circle of friends. She wondered whom.

Haruhi didn't have time to ponder over that though, since she was already wasting her afternoon playing kick the can. Kassanoda and his clan initiated the game and brought most of the school out to play. Tamaki, obviously, was one of the most excited.

"_HYPERRRR STARLIGHTTT KIIICK!!!"_

His afternoon cry echoed in the springtime air as he kicked the soda can so powerfully the bottle hurdled across the sky. Girls and boys ran across the fields to hide, while Kasanoda chased after the flying can. Tamaki took Haruhi's wrist.

"Come on, Haruhi!"

Soon the scholarship student found herself dragged by the hand. Tamaki had bright eyes today, scrambling and running all over the place like a child.

They entered through a mass of bushes, but as the two traveled deeper, Haruhi discovered this place was a rose maze.

"This is my secret hideout," Tamaki said. "Not even our friends know this way."

They had started walking now, once sure the other students weren't nearby. Haruhi gawked at their surroundings. They had been passing by endless roses and bushes.

"Are we lost?"

Tamaki gurgled a strange noise from his throat and froze. Haruhi stared, staring blandly at the boy.

"Apparently you don't know the way either."

Several minutes later her companion waved his arm wildly to Haruhi and shouted that he found the hiding spot (or at least he claimed so, anyway). Inside was a circular open area, surrounding by red roses. Stone benches enclosed the spot with a small table sitting in the center. Haruhi had to admit it was a peaceful place to be, but she still didn't see the point of a rose maze on school grounds.

Also, it seemed as if Tamaki had forgotten they were hiding in the first place, as he rested his back on the cool stone bench and talked in his normal voice again.

"Isn't this fun?" the boy asked, gazing at the sea of red blooming over the ceiling. Haruhi gawked at the shades of green surrounding them. Normally, she would be home after school, studying for her tests next week. She didn't remember the last time she took the time for extra activities outside of classes.

Even though those activities were, well…

"It's fine, but the last time I played this was in elementary."

"Hmm, really?" He made a low hum noise under his breath, contemplation over his face. "I didn't get to play a lot of games when I was little. My mom was sick a lot, so I was too busy taking care of her."

A memory of her mother in the hospital bed flashed in Haruhi's head. The day before her mom died. Haruhi felt her chest ache, but the pang eased with Tamaki's smile. The corners of his lips quirked, and though the blue in his eyes had drifted like a murky ocean, the boy's face brightened like an undying light bulb.

"That's why it's fun getting to play now," he said, then smiled widely, "lots of fun!"

Haruhi blinked, slightly taken aback. He didn't make the usual idiotic grin. Tamaki expressed true cheerfulness, one that managed to itch Haruhi's mouth to curl upwards.

"We should do more fun things afterschool," he suggested.

Without noticing what her words would mean, Haruhi said, "Sure."

The scholarship student gazed at the ceiling where, in a spread of red roses, a white flower bloomed in the center. Then she realized.

"So you'll practice with me for the audition, too?" he asked.

Haruhi almost bit her tongue. He caught her. She knew the word 'no' should come from her lips, but something clogged her throat. That stupid frog in her throat gave her time to think. What if she did agree? Didn't she just say this was fun? It wasn't like they were going to land the roles, anyway. Haruhi had to be realistic. She wasn't exactly the top choice for a singing contest. And yet, she wouldn't know, having hid behind a desk her whole life.

But Kurakano had given Haruhi the folder of music sheets for the song a week ago, and she hadn't even touched a single inch of it.

Haruhi shook her head. "You only dragged me because I happened to be there when you were signing up."

"That's not true," he insisted. "I wanted you because you're Haruhi."

Because she was Haruhi? Was Tamaki trying to sweet-talk her like he did with every other girl? But Tamaki looked at her with a strange light in his eyes, different from the usual princely charm he displayed, so Haruh wasn't quite sure.

"You know, you remind me of someone I met before the new semester started. Except she was a girl. She refused to sing in a friendly game of karaoke. It wasn't that she was shy, I don't think so. That girl preferred to hide in her shell... never breaking free."

Haruhi opened her mouth, but before she could speak the words she never knew what to say, Kyouya's voice interrupted the two and they shot their heads up. Honey and Mori peeked from behind the bespectacled student, and the shorter boy shouted that they won the kick-the-can game.

That night, Haruhi opened the folder of music sheets for the first time.

* * *

_If we're trying, yeah we're breaking free…_

_

* * *

_

"These lyrics are quite beautiful, Kurakano-san." Tamaki's fingers brushed over his papers from countless times of folding and unfolding. "Something like this, you can't simply make up."

The girl with long brown hair blushed. "Thank you. Actually, I wrote this a long time ago about Kazukiyo and me. I thought he might like it, but it seems he's not very interested in singing, or rather, maybe it's too cheesy…"

"Do you like him?"

The piano rumbled as Kurakano slammed her hands on the keys jumping up. "Wh-wha?! I'm—I respect the Class Rep very much!"

"Do not worry, Kurakano-san!" Tamaki slapped a palm on the left side of his chest. "I'll make sure your song reaches his heart!"

The girl flushed redder and rambled on with incomprehensible sputters until the door creaked open. A head of brown peeked through. In a blue jacket, the student glanced at the two, then at the sign above the door. Music Room 3.

"Haruhi-kun? I thought you went home afterschool," Kurakano said. Tamaki's eyes lit up, and he waited with bated breath.

"Um. I sort of need help," Haruhi replied. She fished a crumpled paper from her pocket and unfolded the sheet. For the first time, there were crinkles.

"I can't read music notes."

Tamaki blinked, then glanced at the paper in the commoner's hands. On the top, bold black letters spelled 'BREAKING FREE'. Haruhi bit her lip and ogled her shoes, a faint red blooming on her cheeks in embarrassment.

Tears formed in Tamaki's eyes. "HARUHIIII!"

His tackling the boyish girl to the floor made Haruhi immediately regret stepping into the room, but he didn't care.

* * *

_We're soaring, flying, _

_There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach…_

_

* * *

_

Footsteps came to a halt. Goldenrod eyes flickered. The redhead pressed his ear to the door, where Tamaki's voice faintly drifted through, wavering up and down in a soft melody.

"You hear that, Kaoru?" He pulled his head away from the door, facing his twin. "They're actually practicing."

What was worse, that line of singing was on-key.

"They're serious," Kaoru said.

The twins already knew what they'd do if they won their bet against Tamaki. They planned to use his status as the school chairman's son to take away Haruhi's scholarship. But what had Tamaki planned to do if he won? He seemed confident when he agreed to take part in the game. Behind that idiotic demeanor, what was he planning?

"Come on, Haruhi! It's your turn to sing!"

Hikaru wrinkled his nose at the mention of the scholarship student. No doubt the commoner must be Tamaki's secret weapon.

"I thought a guy like him preferred to dig his head in study notes, not music notes," Kaoru scoffed.

"Let's make him choose, then."

Kaoru met his twin's gaze and mirrored the spark in his eyes. Two smirks crept on their lips, and they quietly sauntered down the hallway, footsteps echoing in hollow rooms.

* * *

_If we're trying, yeah we're breaking free…_

_

* * *

_

The soft melody drifted into the third music room in perfect harmony, perfect pitch. With the last note fading, Kurakano took a breath and smiled at Haruhi.

"That's how the next line is supposed to go. Now you try, Haruhi-kun."

The short-haired girl gulped. She had attempted the song several times last night, but Kurakano sung so perfectly that it felt like only her classmate was made to sing the lyrics. She did compose the music, after all. Haruhi wondered why Kurakano didn't audition herself.

Haruhi paused, coughed, cleared her throat, and grimaced for a full minute before parting her lips.

"If we're… trying… yeah… we're breaking free…"

Tamaki joined, _"You know the world can see us in a way that's different than who we are…"_

"Creating space between us… 'til we're separate… hearts…"

Kurakano stopped playing the piano. Tamaki lowered his copy of the lyrics, his face set to a frown. "You're just talking, Haruhi." In a very bad monotone, he didn't add.

"I don't know how to sing."

Kurakano pursed her lips, but a line had etched over her forehead. "Try singing the first line at a low key until you sing the word 'trying', then go higher. Think _do-re-mi_."

Haruhi spoke in the same monotone, except when she said 'trying', the girl raised her voice to an obnoxious volume. Tamaki and Kurakano winced at the grating noise. Haruhi blinked at the two, unfazed.

"Err," Tamaki coughed, "let's try this again tomorrow, Haruhi!"

"Keep p-practicing and you'll be f-fine!" Kurakano shrilled.

"Okay," Haruhi replied, but raised an eyebrow at the suspicious two laughing nervously. They stacked their papers together, then whizzed out the door. It was almost as if they were breaking free for an escape.

As Tamaki waited outside for his limo to arrive, he tugged his collar, letting a bead of sweat roll down his neck. This was going to be harder than he thought. He still had faith in Haruhi, but they needed help.

A reassuring grin tugged his lips. He knew just who to ask.

* * *

_But your faith, it gives me strength,_

_Strength to believe…_

_

* * *

_

"Alright, men! You know full well why you are gathered here today."

Tamaki smacked his pointer stick to the white board, making the others jump from their seat. The words _"Operation Make Haruhi the Next Chieko Kawabe (But a Male One, of Course, Since Haruhi is a Guy after all and Definitely Not a Girl!)"_ streaked over the board. Since the title took up most of the room, no actual instructions were written and chibi drawings of Haruhi and music notes filled the corners instead.

Honey and Mori made saluting gestures. "Yes, sir!"

Haruhi, who stood in the middle of the third music room, held the music sheet and wondered why she bothered bringing the paper.

"I thought we were supposed to practice today," she complained.

"We can't practice without a team formation!" Tamaki declared.

Honey and Mori arranged in a line. Haruhi gawked at the two single members. They formed a very short line.

"This is barely even a team, Tamaki-senpai."

The pointer stick drooped down as Tamaki wibbled. "Kyouya was supposed to be here," the blonde whined, "but he said he was too busy, and refused to tell me why!"

'I should have made the same excuse,' Haruhi thought.

She didn't know why she bothered to come today, especially after how Kurakano and Tamaki reacted to her singing. Was her voice really that bad? She guessed she would find out soon enough with Honey and Mori's supposed help.

Honey slammed his hand on the table and spoke in the loudest, firmest voice he could muster. "Plan A!" the senior shouted, then lugged out a boom box and pressed a button. "Lip singing!"

A soft, feminine voice, the polar opposite of Haruhi's, drifted from the speakers and wavered throughout the room. The men nearly swayed at the calming melody until they caught sight of Haruhi's bored face and mismatched lip flaps. Mori turned the music off.

"Haru-chan, your mouth movements are all wrong," Honey complained.

"Overruled!" Tamaki banged a gavel Haruhi had no idea had been there in the first place. "Haruhi must sing on his own! And why was that singer a girl? Even though Haruhi's gay, that doesn't match him at all."

Honey blinked. "Eh? Tama-chan, you mean you really don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Nevermind," Mori said.

Tamaki cocked his head to the side, an imaginary light bulb over his head still dim. Mori tucked the boom box away, then took out a microphone plugged into a small metal box. Haruhi wondered where these guys were getting these devices from.

"Plan B," continued Mori, "using a voice-corrector."

Haruhi held the microphone to her lips and started singing. The feedback screeched in a hideous tremor. The others clamped their ears shut, wincing.

"It broke," Mori said as he took back the microphone and box. The seniors glanced warily at Haruhi, wondering how one's voice could possess such disastrous powers. Tamaki banged the gavel once more.

"Overruled! Haruhi sounds even more robotic than before!"

The only girl in the room sighed. "If we're not doing any real practice today, I'm leaving."

"Wait, Haruhi!" The blonde stretched a hand toward the student heading for the door. "Don't you want to do this?"

"I'm not so sure anymore," she said honestly. The door clicked shut as she left.

Haruhi breathed deeply, her back pressed against the wall. Her fingers had curled tightly into fists. She didn't know why she was upset. Maybe because she had expected Tamaki to treat her differently than today. _'Stupid senpai,'_ she thought. What happened to the person who just wanted her to have fun, who picked her because she was Haruhi?

Before the brunette could contemplate any further, she heard voices echo down the hall. Curious, Haruhi made careful not to step loudly, as her quiet footsteps made their way to the corner.

She poked a head out and stared at the two men. The older one wore a white suit with slicked brown hair. The other, his back facing against Haruhi, dressed in the Ouran uniform with a notebook tucked in his hand.

"I'll make sure to talk to my father about it," Haruhi heard Kyouya's voice.

The older man hummed under his breath, mulling their discussion over.

"I'm quite surprised, Kyouya. Tamaki is your best friend. I would think that you'd support him, but to go behind his back with this…"

Kyouya tilted his glasses. He kept his lips shut, then muttered quietly, "We'll discuss this later."

The other man nodded and bid the student goodbye. As he approached closer to the nedxt hall, Haruhi ducked in the corner behind the inner wall and a vase of roses. She listened to his footsteps fading away, then when they disappeared, the girl breathed a relieved sigh and stepped out.

"Haruhi."

She yelped and nearly knocked the vase over. Kyouya stood mere inches from behind her, glasses gleaming as he stared. He knew she'd been listening, and that was why he had stopped the conversation.

"I never perceived you as the eavesdropping type."

"It was an accident," she sputtered. Haruhi stared carefully at Kyouya. "But, even though it's none of my business… what are you planning against Tamaki-senpai for?"

She could have sworn a smirk had crept on Kyouya's lips. He tilted his glasses, and this time she could see his pupils.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "This is something for Tamaki only. You should be more concerned for other people who might be plotting against you yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm saying, if you're not completely sure about something, it's best if you back out from it."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. The clacks of Kyouya's shoes echoed down the hallway as he disappeared.

* * *

_You know the world can see us_

_In a way that's different than who we are…_

_

* * *

_

She recognized the tune playing behind the doors of the third music room. Haruhi had studied the music sheet the previous night, and remembered this melody as the first line of the song. The girl expected to see Kurakano as she turned the knob, but the pianist was a blonde boy. Eyes closed, his hands danced off the keys, the music escaping from the tip sof his fingers. His head bobbed up and down, his shoulders relaxed, the pianist's whole body flowing with the drift of the song.

This wasn't like any simple tune from a musical. Haruhi stood in the middle of a waltz, a symphony, a priceless piece of art.

When he finished, blue eyes opened, and Tamki gaped his mouth, as if he had returned to this world. "H-Haruhi! I didn't see you come in." He scratched the back of his head. "Kurakano-san couldn't make it to practice today. She said Soga-kun, your Class Rep, wanted to tell her something after school."

A confession, Haruhi knew. Kurakano would be happy about this. Smiling, she silently wished the two luck. The short-haired girl twisted the knob behind her, shutting the door close. "You play the piano really well."

"Thanks."

A blush crept on Tamaki's cheeks, and he avoided eye contact. He wondered why he was getting nervous. This was the first time Haruhi and him were alone.

"I used to play a lot to cheer my mother up when she was sick," he explained.

That was why, Haruhi realized. Why he was so passionate whenever he came in contact with the instrument. Singing may be a passing hobby, but Tamaki loved the piano much, much more. She wondered why he didn't do this for the musical instead.

"Did you want to practice?" he asked.

"Ah… sure."

Tamaki saw the crinkle in her forehead, and smiled considerately. "Don't worry about how good or bad you sound. The most important thing is that you sing from your heart."

Haruhi nodded, a little comforted. Tamaki started playing a soft melody, his fingers dancing with the first verse.

The sound emitting from the girl sounded like a cat yowling its death speech. Tamaki's face did not flinch. His eyes kept closed, his face kept passive, but his lips had curled slightly. Haruhi's voice had never faltered.

* * *

_Connected by the feelings,_

_Ooh, in our very soul…_

_

* * *

_

They didn't realize the sun had almost set until the door knocked. The red ball in the orange sky reflected on the knob, which twisted as a guest appeared. The piano slowed to a silence, and Tamaki and Haruhi glanced at the newcomer. The girl recognized the man from before, with the suite suit and brown, slicked back hair.

"Oh? I thought someone was dying in here," the man commented.

"What? We're just practicing! Can't we get some privacy?" Tamaki said. Haruhi gazed at him curiously. It was rare to see him annoyed.

"You tell the school chairman to leave his school?" the man scoffed.

School chairman?! Haruhi jolted from her seat next to Tamaki, oblivious to the boy's disappointed face, as she bowed.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said. "I'm Haruhi Fujioka. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you sooner…"

"I remember you. You're the honor student." His smile faded, replaced by perplexity as he scanned the blue blazer and black slacks. "Why are you wearing…?"

"Will you go home already?" Tamaki demanded, annoyed the chairman had interrupted the two.

"I apologize as well for having you deal with my rude son," he continued, blatantly ignoring the blonde teenager. "You should be careful around him. Boys these days are…"

"Father!"

Tamaki continued his tantrum as the chairman laughed. Haruhi couldn't hear the babble from the two. The word 'son' had stuck to her and echoed in her mind.

Yuzuru Suoh. Son.

What was Tamaki's last name?

"Ehhhhh?!" Haruhi gaped at the two, open-mouthed and wide-eyes. The person she'd been calling an idiot for the past few weeks had been the chairman's son – the family who had financed her scholarship to enroll in Ouran in the first place.

Haruhi shook her head furiously. No way. Those two were nothing alike!

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Haruhi. And whenever you need help," the chairman flashed a rose from his sleeve, and Haruhi could have sworn sparkles flied out from the gesture, "don't hesitate to ask your uncle."

Tamaki burst in a fit of rage. Haruhi blanched. Those two were exactly alike.

Holding the rose, the girl blinked at her watch. "Ah! It's already six!" She scrambled for her briefcase, wondering how she lost track of time. "I have to go home and prepare dinner. See you next week, senpai. Goodbye, Mr. Suoh!"

She left in a hurry. Tamaki watched the last brown strand of his partner's head disappear. He started moping.

"Look what you did, Father," the boy complained. "You drove him away!"

Yuzuru merely shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. The closer Tamaki looked, the sooner he realized the expression was a smirk.

"You're closer than I thought," he said. "Not only do you never address me as chairman, you can't even tell the gender of your own partner!"

"Eh?"

Yuzuru pulled his head back and roared with laughter.

"Haruhi Fujioka is a girl!"

Tamaki stared.

A light bulb turned on.

"WHAAAATTT?!?!"

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **Hooray, this story's alive again! I'm sorry for being on a hiatus. It's been quite a while, almost a year. The reason why I stopped writing fanfiction for a bit was because I was swept with writing an original story of my own. Now that my novel's finished, I can focus on getting back on track with _OHSM! _again.

Many special thanks to these readers who have been long deprived of a new chapter: **Loch Ness Writer, Doctoress Horrible, FeatherBerry, easterlily16, AiOtaku, Laila, larrythestapler, Astra M, **and **Selena Antares**. Even though none of you will probably read this anymore…

To **Selena Antares: **Yes, Honey and Mori will appear in several chapters. Your review reminded me to include them in this one!

To **FeatherBerry: **This will probably not be a HitachiinxHaruhi fanfic because there aren't many opportunities for the twins and Haruhi to interact. (Especially now that the twins are starting to plot against Haruhi!) This story isn't very romantic, but if anything, the coupling would be TamakixHaruhi, since right now they're learning how to work together. (How is Tamaki going to deal with Haruhi now that he knows she's a girl?)

I've decided to keep the poll on my profile, so if you haven't voted yet, do so! **Who do you think will win the lead roles for the Ouran High School Musical?**

Also, I need a bit of help. Does anyone have a good parody title for the songs 'When There was Me and You', 'Bop to the Top', and 'We're All in This Together'? I'm running out of ideas for chapter titles. (By the way, as far as I can tell, there are only two or three chapters left before this fanfic is over!) Please leave suggestions in your reviews!


	6. When There Was Me and a Girl

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or High School Musical. The songs do not belong to me._

Haruhi Fujioka is a girl.

The day Tamaki Suoh discovered this was not the only time of disaster. At the same time, a meteor hurdled towards the Earth, colliding against the ground in a sputtering, fiery ball. Meanwhile, a dinosaur rose from its ashes, pulling his giant head back and roaring in the starry sky. Those stars exploded like fireworks, red and orange sparks shooting across outer space. The whole world, in one second, combusted into nothingness.

Okay, that might have all just been going on in Tamaki's head.

The end of the world flashed in his eyes, and with all the explosions and rumbling fire battling in-between his mind, the boy couldn't hear his father's words. Yuzuru's laughter had died down already, and the wrinkles around the chairman's eyes disappeared, replaced by a solemn look in his expression. He gazed out the window, where the engine of a limo puckered. He watched a spectacled student sit inside and drive away. Kyouya would have talked to his father by now…

"Anyway, there's another reason why I visited this music room," Yuzuru said. "The maids informed me you've been practicing for a musical. While this may seem like fun and games, don't forget your priorities, either."

Half of an orange sun peeked from behind the clock tower, slowly sinking underneath the ground. The dim light reflected in Yuzuru's eyes, brown and red mixing to auburn in a faraway gaze.

"A musical only lasts a few weeks. What you decide to do for your future will affect the rest of your life. You have to grow up someday, Tamaki. Very soon, the time will come when you must decide to give up the hobbies you love, the things you love, and the people you lo…"

Yuzuru stopped as he turned around and found the pale sheet of his son lying on the floor. Tamaki's soul drifted from his body and went through the ceiling.

"… He fainted."

**OURAN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!**

_CHAPTER 6: When There Was Me… and a Girl?!_

The beach waves crashed under the golden sun. Seagulls squawked in the distance, like flaps of paper turning into specks under the red sky. Hot sand trickled between the blonde boy's toes as he walked across the lonely beach. A quiet hum wavered in the air, a soft melody that seemed to trance Tamaki as he followed the source of the singing.

The waved smoothened as he reached the end, staring at the back of a young girl. In the breeze, her pink dress fluttered, her short brown hair tickling the back of her neck. The sun hit her small figure in a way that lightened her creamy skin.

"Have you been waiting long, princess?" Tamaki asked, his voice sultry. The girl shook he rhead.

"I'll wait as long as I can, if it means being with you, senpai…"

She turned around as the wind swept up. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, Haruhi smiled with a tinge of red blossoming her cheeks.

Tamaki stepped closer, arms opening for an embrace. "Oh, Haruhi…"

"Senpai…"

HARUHI?!

A tidal wave grabbed him by the ankle. Tamaki plunged into the ocean. The boy jolted awake, crashing on marble floors with a blanket twisted around his leg. Birds noisily chirped outside his window.

"H-Haruhi…" he muttered, "is a girl…"

* * *

_It's funny when you find yourself_

_Looking from the outside…_

_

* * *

_

How could Tamaki have not known this? He was the prince of Ouran, a renowned ladies' man, and yet he had been standing next to a girl, totally oblivious! He had treated Haruhi so crudely as a boy, as well. The poor girl had never once experienced courtesy from the boy, the special treatment that every young maiden deserved.

Though he yelled these thoughts in his head, Tamaki tried to keep his outward appearance poised as he crossed the campus of Ouran Academy. He straightened the tie that he had clumsily put on this morning, and strained a smile as girls passed by and waved hello. They giggled at his usual charming remarks, but couldn't help but notice a random strand of blonde hair sticking out from the prince's head.

Tamaki kept his posture, but inside, he wanted to run to his corner of gloom. How could he have the right to compliment these girls when he didn't know what to compliment about Haruhi?! He was a failure as a man! A shame to all mankind!

But wait… he wasn't the only person who mistook her as a boy, right?

The sound of Kyouya's voice jerked him forward and nearly tripped the boy. Kyouya raised an eyebrow at his friend, who was panting and clutching his chest as if he had experienced a heart attack from a simple hello.

"You're jittery today," he observed.

"You will never believe this, Kyouya," Tamaki breathed, then spoke seriously, "but Haruhi is a girl."

"Oh, so you finally figured it out?" his best friend replied.

"Eh?! You already knew?!"

"Yes, as did Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai."

Tamaki thought the meteors were going to collide against Earth again, the dinosaurs would rise from their ashes again, and then the world didn't make sense anymore. He should treat Haruhi like a girl from now on, yes, but the mere thought of interacting with not _him_, but _her_…

"I don't know what to do around her," he sputtered. Tamaki was panicking and raising his blood pressure more than a high school student should this early in the morning. It didn't make sense. He always knew the perfect thing to say to the ladies, but Haruhi was Haruhi, something different than just a normal girl, and she left him completely speechless.

Kyouya glanced at the view behind the blonde. "Then you better think of something quickly."

Tamaki followed the direction of Kyouya's pointed finger and spotted a familiar brunette approaching the two. He gasped and hid behind the spectacled student.

"Good morning, Kyouya-senpai," greeted the androgynous voice of Haruhi. "Tamaki-senpai, what are you doing back there?"

Tamaki jumped out and threw his arms in the air.

"W-What a pleasant surprise to see you in the morning, H-Haruhi!" he shrilled. "Oh! I see you're studying dutifully!"

"Yeah, a bit." She nodded towards the stack of books she carried in her arms. The pile looked heavier than usual. "I borrowed some books about singing, too. I'm not sure if it'll help me improve, but I figured it's worth a try."

Tamaki's heartbeats slowed down a bit. A small smile crawled on his lips. Haruhi had started making an effort towards their audition, after all.

"Do you want to practice, senpai? We have a few minutes left until first class begins."

_B-Bump! _The heartburn returned. Tamaki wanted to clutch his chest at the pain, but he'd drench his blazer wet with his sweaty hand. Why did he keep getting so nervous? This was familiar to the feeling he had when they practiced alone last week, too, before he had discovered Haruhi was a girl. What did it mean?

Heat flared to his face as Tamaki felt a cool hand press against his forehead. Innocent brown eyes blinked at him.

"Are you okay, senpai? You seem a little sick."

Steam puffed out of Tamaki's flaming ears. "A-Actually, I'm extremely busy in the morning!" he lied. "Kyouya and I have to… er… create a host club! Yes, so we'll be on our way now!"

The boy grabbed Kyouya and ran away, until the two students were nothing but specks in the distance. Haruhi gawked at the clouds of dust from where they left.

"Host club?" she murmured. "Would a high school really allow that?"

* * *

_I'm standing here_

_But all I want is to be over there…_

_

* * *

_

He could do this. He could definitely do this!

He had been mentally preparing himself for this moment throughout all of his classes, waiting for the last bell to ring for afterschool hours. Tamaki planned to waltz in the third music room, gallantly call, "Are you ready to practice, Haruhi?" Then Haruhi, in the frilly yellow girls' uniform, would spin around in slow-motion. Her eyes would avert, her fingers hovering over her mouth, a faint bloom creeping on her cheeks.

"But senpai, I'm so nervous," she gushed in a soft voice. "What if my singing isn't good enough for you?"

A small gasp would utter from her supple lips as Tamaki cupped her chin.

"Everything you do is beautiful to me," he'd say.

"Senpai…"

"Haruhi…"

"Senpai…"

"Haruhi…"

Tamaki snapped out of his daydream and realized a trail of blood dripped down his nose. He wiped his face with his sleeve, then turned the knob.

Inside sat a lone piano and nothing else. Tamaki blinked at the empty room. Where did everyone go?

Footsteps echoed in the large theatre, until the blonde stopped at the echo of two distant murmurs. He made his way to the stage, where the pink and brown blobs grew bigger to be Kurakano and Haruhi. Kurakano sat over the piano bench, wearing an elegant pink dress that sweeped near her ankles. If the spotlight had been turned on, the dress would have sparkled under the light, glinting like stars.

Haruhi wore a fancy outfit, too – except the brown suit did nothing for her figure, and the black tie tucked close to her neck was disgraceful. She didn't seem to be the least fazed by the menswear, however, simply glancing at Tamaki when he hoisted himself on stage.

"Ah, senpai," she said. "Today's a dress rehearsal, so we're going to perform on stage with these outfits as if this were the real audition."

"Yes, I've kept your suit in the back stage closet. I'll go get it." Kurakano walked into the darkness in the background, and the shut of a door thudded faintly.

A silence passed until Tamaki shifted over to Haruhi. "Shouldn't I wear a suit like yours?" he asked.

Haruhi blinked. "Why? I think mine might be too small for you."

"That's not my point," he said, stepping closer. "I've found out your secret, Haruhi. I know that you're a girl."

Haruhi gawked at her partner with a blank expression, as if he had just claimed water was wet.

"Since when was that a secret? Biologically, yes, I am a girl."

Tamaki almost stepped back, his body like a flimsy piece of paper. He already knew the fact that Haruhi was female, but hearing the news uttered from the girl's lips herself was another piece of information entirely. He started sputtering, pointing wildly at the brunette.

"Wha—then why have you been dressing like a boy?! When we gave you the men's uniform for Ouran, why didn't you correct us?"

Oh, no. The reason couldn't be what he thought it was. He was so insensitive! Of course Haruhi was in trouble. The underprivileged girl owed a huge debt, and now the collectors were on a search for her. Her poor family had to flee far away to Ouran, where Haruhi would go under disguise as a boy, for the sake of hiding her true identity!

Haruhi, that poor, helpless girl. Tamaki wanted to pull out a tissue and sob for the commoner, but Haruhi already responded with a shrug.

"I don't care that people think I'm a boy. Gender doesn't matter to me. Besides, the men's uniform seems to fit more comfortably."

Tamaki gaped his mouth wide open. That was it? Haruhi let others treat her like a boy just because? That made no sense! All the girls he knew, they always dressed their best. Haruhi needed to follow their example, start having fun with girlfriends, and live a wholesome life!

"It's time you start dressing like a girl! You can't possibly go through your high school life acting so frugal!"

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "What's with you all of a sudden? Why does it matter how I dress?"

"Of course it matters! Ladies are supposed to wear dresses and act cutely."

Haruhi stared at Tamaki for a moment before taking a step back. "I don't appreciate the way you're acting right now," she muttered. The brunette turned around, saying, "You find out that I'm a girl, and suddenly you're treating me differently—"

"Watch out!"

Haruhi's foot slipped at the edge of the stage. Tamaki lunged out and grabbed the girl as they both fell. He turned over so his back hit the ground, shielding Haruhi with his arms clutched around her body.

The double doors from the audience seats creaked open. Two seniors witnessed the event as it happened.

"Tama-chan! Haru-chan!" A short, blonde boy rushed over, followed by his taller cousin. "Are you okay? We wanted to watch you rehearse, but now you're practicing way too hard!"

Tamaki gritted his teeth, knowing that was not the case. They barely practiced, and now this happened. Though his spine stung just a little bit, he said, "I'm fine, but Mori-senpai, go call the doctor for Haruhi."

Mori nodded, but before he could take a step back, Haruhi shoved herself out of Tamaki's arms to stop the senior.

"I'm all right. I don't need a doctor," she protested. "Tamaki-senpai is more hurt. His back—"

"No, you are. What were you thinking? You almost hurt yourself!" The boy grunted, propping himself up with his elbow. "You're a girl! You have to be more careful."

Haruhi gazed at Tamaki, surprised. She had never been scolded by him before, and this time the honor student didn't even know why. What did being a girl have to do with anything? Wasn't Tamaki the one who said he wanted Haruhi to be his partner because she was Haruhi? She furrowed her eyebrows, realizing she was getting upset.

"This has nothing to do with being a boy or a girl. I wasn't looking—"

"You almost hurt yourself!" Tamaki shouted. "You don't take this musical seriously, and this is what happens!"

"Of course I don't take this musical seriously. You were the one who forced me to take part in this ridiculous play."

Kurakano's footsteps echoed over the stage, followed by a gasp as the girl's eyes fell over the two on the floor. Worriedly, she asked what happened. Mori and Honey exchanged tense glances, unsure of whether to make a move or not. The atmosphere had suddenly grown thick between the two that the seniors thought if they moved a single inch, they might disrupt it.

But Tamaki didn't hear the others. All he could listen to was the echo of Haruhi's words saying she didn't take this musical seriously. The girl stared back at him, her look serious, without regrets.

Was that all he was to her? Ridiculous? He had patiently put up with Haruhi, persuading her to audition with him for the musical because he believed she needed more fun in her life. He thought she finally accepted, but the more he thought about this, the sooner Tamaki realized that Haruhi was still apathetic when it came to these things.

She kept switching back and forth between wanting to practice and then suddenly acting disinterested. What was with that? Tamaki didn't want to be strung along a string only to be cut off later. If Haruhi really did want to stick to hiding behind a desk, buried in her studies forever, then fine!

"So that's how it is?" he muttered, and that was how Haruhi knew he was truly angry: when he spoke quietly. But the brunette didn't bother to say anything, especially when she didn't think she did anything wrong.

Tamaki stood up from the floor. He faintly heard Kurakano's worried voice, along with Honey and Mori calling their names, protesting at what they all knew was about to happen, but he didn't care.

"Fine, then. Maybe we don't have to audition together after all."

Tamaki broke the stare-down between him and Haruhi, looking away. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked past by her. Honey and Mori stepped back so the boy could cross the aisles of the theatre.

"Do whatever you want," his voice echoed throughout the walls of the auditorium, "but I'm not speaking to you until you admit that you were wrong!"

Haruhi looked back without a single word of protest. And maybe, like any other heroine in a musical, this would have been a fitting time for her to sing a heartbroken song about what used to be.

But Haruhi was Haruhi, and she should have known that she wasn't a singer.

* * *

_Why did I let myself believe _

_Miracles could happen?_

'_Cause now I have to pretend_

_That I don't really care…_

_

* * *

_

The second time he met Yuzuru afterschool, Kyouya knew Haruhi was not around to listen. Tamaki had been worrying out loud about the girl throughout all of their classes, so the spectacled student knew she would be located in the music rooms or theatres. The two men could talk freely in privacy, as the rest of Ouran Academy students had gone home, limos buzzing under the sunset.

"So the day is official," Yuzuru said. "When should we tell Tamaki?"

Kyouya snapped his notebook shut, but the charts, graphs, and calculations were still imprinted in his brain. He had been planning for this moment meticulously as he could ever since Yuzuru proposed the idea to him.

"After the word gets out to all our companies' members. This event should be widely publicized, so everyone is watching. It would put a greater pressure on Tamaki. And," he tilted his glasses, "if he messes up, the greater the downfall."

A smirk crept up on Yuzuru's lips. "Aren't you the least bit worried for him, Kyouya?" he asked. "To be honest, I personally am."

Kyouya gazed out the window, where he spotted Tamaki stomping out of the building. The blonde stepped inside his limo, but the split second before he opened the door, Kyouya noticed a change. Tamaki didn't look as pleased as he did the last time Kyouya spotted him. This time, his forehead had scrunched up, his mouth twisted in a wretched line. This time, he slammed the door.

"Worse things can happen," Kyouya muttered.

The two left separate ways to go home. As Kyouya walked through the hallway, he held his notebook tighter, feeling a bit of unrest. He had been certain of himself, with all the circumstances and plans that Yuzuru and him had planned out for Tamaki, but since he spotted the blonde's upset expression outside, he knew something had happened without his knowledge.

He considered visiting the theatre to possibly find Haruhi, but something interrupted his thoughts. Kyouya's ears were never wrong. He knew voices murmured from the classroom he had passed by. Two voices, to be exact.

The second-year student cocked an eyebrow, wondering why other students would still be lingering around the school. Even club activities would be over by now. (Speaking of which, Kyouya hoped Tamaki wasn't serious about creating that host club he suggested earlier today.)

Kyouya turned the knob, and as the door creaked open, he found the Hitachiin twins hunched over the teacher's desk. Their heads dug inside one of the drawers, fingers skipping between the folders. Hikaru looked up, and at the immediate glance of Kyouya, the redhead tucked the paper behind his back too late.

"You're not a student in this class," he stammered.

Kyouya gazed at the shaky arm behind the twin's back, the tips of the paper wavering. He didn't need to read the file to know what it was.

"That's Haruhi Fujioka's paper."

The twins froze. The last noise was the keys clinking in Kaoru's pockets. The two freshmen glanced at Kyouya warily, recognizing him as a friend of Tamaki.

Kyouya already spoke up before they could say anything. "Don't worry. I won't expose your plan."

They still didn't reveal the paper. "Why not?"

"The honor student isn't any of my concern," he said. "Tamaki is the one I'm after."

The twins blinked and exchanged confused looks. Kyouya turned around, tilting his glasses. "Still, it's best if you don't be too set on your scheme. Ultimately, those two are the ones who have the highest potential of tearing themselves apart."

Something snapped inside each of the twins. They glared at Kyouya, fire blazing in their determined eyes.

"We'll be the ones taking them out," Hikaru said.

Kaoru continued, "Those two idiots wouldn't give up that easily!"

They weren't sure, but the Hitachiins might have seen a ghost of a smile on Kyouya's lips. He turned his face to them, and they noticed the shadow king's face had softened.

"I hope they don't give up, either."

**To be continued…**

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* * *

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**Author's Note: **I cut this chapter off a bit earlier than I planned, which confirms that there will be two chapters next instead of one after all. I hope things are getting more interesting now. Though it's pretty clear that the twins and Kyouya are plotting something against Tamaki and Haruhi at this point, it's also evident that they still care about them, too. So why are they scheming against the two in the first place? Hmmm…

Special thanks for this chapter goes to: **Jkawaii Neko, Zurla Adams, **and **Arrancar Satu**. Thanks a lot for reviewing! It's always good to know that there are people reading this story, and it helps my motivation!

Anyway, I'm still in need for a parody title of 'Bop to the Top'. I think that one will be the name for chapter 8 (the last chapter). Does anyone have more suggestions?

And since there are only two more chapters left, don't forget to vote on the poll in my profile: **Who do you think will win the lead roles for the Ouran High School Musical? **I have 22 votes so far, and will post up the final results in my last chapter.**  
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Also, I just wanted to mention that in a few weeks I will have to write a research paper for English class. I'm excited about writing this paper, because my topic is… host clubs!!!


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